The Rising
by H.M.Wolf
Summary: SEQUAL TO THE CHANGING. The Eidson Group is rising. Chloe, Derek, Tori and Simon must be prepared to fight for their lives, and the lives of those they love most. New Romance, Old faces, Drama, Adventure, and even more surprises await them in The Rising.
1. Chapter 1

**YAYYYYYYYY! SEQUAL! :D**

**Ok, heres what happened::: My laptop broke the night before I was ready to post. so we had to send it alllll the way to Texas. So it took a while to get back. **

**Anywho, **

**like I said before, It took a lot of my imagination to write "The Changing." So I may or may not continue ( don't worry I think I can finish this ****J )**

**Disclaimer: I own plot, Emmeline, Chase, Tristan, Adele, Avril, Bryce, and nothing else. **

**Chloe's POV.**

The day after you get engaged to a man you love with ever fiber of your being is…strange.

The charge in the air seems to switch. An anxious feeling builds up and takes residence in you stomach. Everyone that knows suddenly looks at you different…and everyone who doesn't know seems oddly normal.

When I woke up, the night's events seemed like a distant dream. Then I realized I was wearing a ring on my finger.

I sat up, and looked around, confused. My face relaxed when I remebered where I was. _Chicagio. Our new home. _

Derek muttered something in his sleep, and I smiled. I turned to look at him, his hair falling in his face, his lids softly shut. The curve of his lips, his relaxed face, all reminded me how human he was, too. Only, of course, as human as a werewolf could be.

I cringed at that thought. _How could I think something like that?_

Suddenly his eye lids fluttered, reaveling those electrifying green eyes I had grown so used to.

I took a second for him to focus, then he sleepily looked up at me.

"Hey." He murmuered, studying me, an almost-smile playing on his lips.

"Hey." I echoed, looking down on him.

He nodded and looked away, then smiled and looked back.

"You did say yes last night, didn't you? Because if you didn't, my confidence would be enternally bruised." He joked.

I laughed.

"Actually, I told you about how Johnny Depp could be my one and only love," I sighed dramatically. He's face twisted in mock disappointment.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Souza."

I looked up from Derek to find Simon, smiling widely, holding Tristan, a wide green-eyed baby. Who for a newborn was very big.

_But then again, he is a supernatrual. _

Out of no where, Derek pulled me down to him and kissed me. And I mean _really_ kissed me. My head cleared of all thoughts, thankfully, because the guilt was setting in again about the one supernatural baby we had left behind.

"Eugh," Simon hacked. "Not in front of the innocent child!" He turned away from us.

"Did you tell dad?" Derek called, placing his hands around my waist once we pulled apart.

"Nope," Simon called back. "Adele or Tori, either. I'm leaving that one to you guys."

My throat went dry. Tori.

"Well that should be fun," Derek murmured.

"Good morning!" Kit swept in the room at that moment, and we all grew very quiet.

He looked between all of us, confused. Then realization swept over his face.

"Guys," He said quietly.

"I know you feel bad about Chase. But there's nothing we can do. We'll get him back," He promised, a sincere look on his face.

I nodded, as did Simon, looking down.

"Now," Kit said, his voice turning into a cheerier tone.

"Let me hold my grandson!" He turned to Simon. Simon turned back around, and after a second of hesitation, handed Tristan over, who let out a bubbly giggle.

Derek stiffened below me, and I blinked.

Kit stared at Tristan for a second, then smiled. "The kid likes me best," He smiled wider.

Suddenly, the ring on my finger felt heavy. We had to tell him. There was no way I could go through the whole day not saying a word. I wasn't _that_ good of a liar…

Derek and I locked eyes. A look passed between us. When I looked back up again, Simon had the same anxious expression on his face I bet was on mine.

"Chloe?" Kit asked.

He was now bouncing Tristan, who seemed preoccupied by everything. He glanced around hurriedly, like he was waiting for something.

"Would you mind helping me with breakfast?" He asked. The normalcy of the question struck me.

"Uh…" I nodded. "Yeah."

I got up sleepily from the couch, and ran my fingers through my knotted hair. Derek sighed, stretched, and sat up as Kit lead me through the family room, into the right, small hallway toward the kitchen door.

All the while, little Tristan continued to stare at me, wide eyed, his eyes the almost same exact shade of green as Ryan's, which, now that I compared the two, seemed a little darker than Derek's.

As we entered the small kitchen, I saw a small patch of dark hair around the center of Tristan's head.

Kit shifted Tristan on his hip, so one arm was free. He turned to me. "Alright, just let me get the box of…" He turned away from me and opened a cabinet.

Adele walked into the room from a door I hadn't noticed existed. I assumed that was where Tori was.

Adele stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Tristan. I scrunched my brows in confusion and studied her expression.

Kit turned away from the cabinet and set down a jug on the counter in front of me. He spotted Adele and smiled. But the smile faded when he saw the look on her face. Kit glanced between Tristan and her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked worriedly, studying Tristan with great care, then turning back to Adele who shook her head and blinked.

"They seem to be developing rapidly…the babies." She gestured to Tristan and shook her head again.

Kit pursed his lips. "Could it be the barrage of genes?" He asked, his tone business like.

Adele looked away. "It could just be my imagination. We'll have Lauren take a look at them later."

Kit hesitantly nodded, and turned away again.

I cleared my throat. "How's Tori and Emmeline?" I asked. Adele glanced at me, and bit her lip. "Emmeline is developing just as fast as Tristan. And Tori…she's doing better." She nodded once again.

Simon startled me when he came up from behind and stole Tristan from Mr. Bae's arm.

"My turn," He declared, and shot me a look I took as _did you tell him?_

Kit turned around in time to see the look. Adele took a seat at the table as Kit narrowed his eyes.

I shook my head _no_ to Simon, and he rolled his eyes and started to bounce Tristan.

"Hey, Chloe," Simon said in a loud, game-show-host type of voice. "How's you're _finger?"_ He asked, and cleared his throat. I shot him a look.

"Alright, now you-" Kit placed something in my hand. I didn't see what; I was too busy reading his expression when he saw the ring on my finger. He quickly looked up to me, then back at my hand.

"No." He let out a breath in disbelief.

"Yes." Simon said cheerfully.

"_Oh my God!"_ Kit exclaimed

A wide smile broke out across his face, and I smiled, happy he took the news well.

"Oh my _God!_ When did this happen?" He asked, picking up my hand and studying the ring. I had to bite my lip; He was reacting the way I had imagined a preppy girlfriend would.

"Last night," I answered him. He looked up to me and smiled some more. Adele shot up from her seat.

"Lauren!" Kit called excitedly. "_Lauren!,_" He turned to me. "Does Lauren know?" He asked, his eyes wide. I nodded. "She walked in on it." I laughed.

Aunt Lauren came out of the same room Adele had, also smiling. But Kit hadn't noticed her. He was now jogging out of the kitchen, down the hall. I walked over to the door frame, and peeked down the hall. About ten paces away, Derek and Kit were hugging.

I froze, and my insides softened. I'd never really seen Derek or Kit this way before. It struck me that no matter what anyone said, Kit was the one who raised Derek. Kit was Derek's father.

Feeling like I was intruding, I entered the kitchen again to find Avril and Bryce sitting at the table. I wondered how they had gotten their so damn fast…

_Oh. Right. Vampires._

Avril was drinking a glace of milk, and had a sort-of confused expression on her face. Her hair was pulled up into a high bun. Bryce sat next to her, his eyes distant. His arms lay limp at his sides. He looked deep in thought.

"Sour?" Simon asked, standing in the spot I had left him. It took me a minute to figure he was talking to Avril.

Derek and Kit re-entered the room while Avril shook her head. "It has no taste." she answered.

Simon gave her a curious look. Derek wrapped his arms around my waste from behind me.

Bryce glanced at me. Derek stiffened.

"Wow," Kit laughed. "Wow oh wow. Derek's getting married." He shook his head smiling. Simon smiled wider.

Bryce looked away from me and exchanged looks with Avril.

Aunt Lauren came out into the room again, but this time, she was followed by _Tori._

She looked healthy, despite the bandage wrapped around her waist. She had dark circles under her eyes, but other than that, she was glowing.

And holding the prettiest little girl I had ever seen.

Emmeline had long eyelashes and dark hair; not that their was much hair, but what she had of it was practically black. She had big green eyes, like her brother. She had small lips, and wide cheeks. She was the cutest thing ever.

Everyone was quiet when Tori spotted me. She smiled; It was a fragile thing. She came up closer to me.

"I heard! Congratulations!" She handed Emmeline to Kit quickly, yet carefully, and then hugged me. I hugged her back.

In our own way, that hug said a lot. For me, it said I was sorry. And that I was forgiven. I wasn't just saying sorry for Chase. I was sorry for her mom. For her family. For _everything._

Tori was my best friend.

When we pulled apart, she turned to Derek, a serious expression on her face.

"I'll kick your ass if you hurt her." She shrugged. Everyone was quiet. Derek swallowed.

Tori looked around. "Jeez people, I was _joking."_

Bryce snickered.

Tori took Emmeline back, and stole Tristan from Simon.

I looked around the room.

Everything was crazy. But right now, for a second, I thought we might be able to move on. And live like everyone else.

I didn't realize a lot more was to come before fate was through with us.

**Sorry it took so long! It killed me to have my laptop away…**

**SO….**

**Next chapter will have a cliffhanger. That's when the action starts. **

**Comments? Predictions? **

**R&R!**


	2. 2 Memories and Longings

**Alrighty, here's two. **

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Emmeline, Tristan, Chase, Adele, plot, and nothing else.**

**Bryce's POV.**

So Chloe was engaged.

Avril and I sat at the table, watching the others like they were animals as they talked about dates and gowns and churches-things that I found impossible for them to do while on the run.

I didn't even know how they would get married in this hell of a mess.

Why did I even care?

After a second of jabbering, that Simon kid looked over at us and sat down again.

Avril smiled at him.

I had enough of the flirt fest.

I got up from my seat, and started to walk away when I noticed Simon's eyes lingering on my hand. No-my wrist. I dug my hand in my pocket and left for the bathroom.

When they were out of sight, I sighed. They probably thought I cut myself. They probably thought I was depressed.

Well, maybe the last part was a little true.

I locked the door behind me, and turned toward the mirror.

What I saw scared me.

My eyes-they weren't the moody hazel I was used to. No, they were about two-thirds red. Blood red. Striking red.

I was also pale. I smiled wide, looking for any signs of fangs, but saw none. Weird. Maybe they needed time to grow. Or maybe real vampire didn't get any. I wished someone would explain it all to me.

I could only imagine what my father would say if he saw me now. I was a _vampire._ A freaking _vampire._

He'd probably kill me; they all would. Everyone I'd known, they'd all come together and destroy me. That's how little I meant to them. Well, except, maybe, for Jamie.

God, I missed Jamie.

I suddenly realized why I couldn't stop looking at Chloe; She had the same eyes as Jamie.

Those big, baby-blue eyes that practically generated innocence. It was so hard to lie to those eyes.

I remembered the last time I spoke to Jamie, right before we left…

_She eyed me suspiciously, her red hair flying everywhere, courtesy of the wind. "Are you going somewhere or something?" She asked._

_I bit my lip. "No," I lied. She put her hands on her hips. _

"_Tell me where you're going." She said softly. I had to look away, so I wouldn't blurt out my whole plan to her. Not that she would tell anyone. Not that she would _dare_ tell my parents. _

"_Nowhere. It's fine. I'm just….tired. That's all." I shrugged and looked back to those accusing eyes. _

_She pursed her lips. "Just…don't get caught." She whispered. She knew as well as I did my dad would tear me to shreds and think nothing of it. _

At that moment, I almost asked her to come with us. Almost. Sometimes, I wished I had. But it wouldn't be safe. And I wouldn't put her in that danger. Especially now with this psycho group trying to probe us…

And Bigfoot, in there, reminded me of my father.

Except for the eyes. My father had those cruel, unforgiving, green and brown eyes. Maybe it was because of the responsibility he had.

It didn't really matter; He was a terrible dad either way.

I didn't know how I could stay in a house full of strangers, and yet be reminded so harshly of the rough past I'd tried _so_ hard to bury.

**Chloe's POV. **

I was happy everyone took the news well.

No matter where I went in the house, there was nothing but good vibes, which was very refreshing.

I got smiles from everyone. Well, everyone except for Adele, who gave me something in between a look of puzzlement and anxiety.

Simon sat on the couch next to Derek and I, bouncing Tristan, when he suddenly looked over at Derek with curiosity.

"Do you want to hold him?" Simon asked.

A grin slowly slid off Derek's face. He blinked. "Uh, no. I'm good."

I saw him swallow.

I bent over to whisper in his ear. "You won't hurt him. You've never hurt me." I reasoned. He turned to look down at me.

"That's not true." He said in low, quiet voice. I furrowed my brows. He nodded to my arm. It took me a couple minutes to remember Derek's hand had once left bruises on my arm, way, way, way back at Lyle House. I gave him a look.

"Here," Simon interrupted. We turned to him. He held out Tristan in a way that almost _forced_ Derek to take him. I saw Derek's chest tense.

What if we had kids? Would he be comfortable around them? Or…

No. Derek would be a great father.

_Why was I debating this with myself now?_

Derek leaned hesitantly toward Tristan, and then, to my surprise, softly slipped his arms under him and held him close to his chest. Simon grinned at me.

Seeing Derek hold Tristan against his chest like that, seeing that baby in his arms provoked something in me….

I got up from the couch. "I'm going to go find Tori." I said. I needed to talk to a friend about this weird aching in my chest…

Simon nodded absently.

And so I walked through the kitchen, looking, and when I found nothing, went to the door to the room she had been in all of yesterday.

When I opened it, I found Tori, but I also found Emmeline on the ground, sitting, (which I also found peculiar) laughing up at Derek.

_Wait. _

_What?_

Tori smiled and sat down on the ground next to her, not appearing to notice Derek. Emmeline was laughing and reaching up toward him.

I pulled back for a minute.

"Derek!" I called. There was a pause.

"What?" I heard him yell from the living room.

My stomach flipped.

The Derek in the room before me looked up to me, and I realized, it wasn't Derek.

It was Nick.

**Alrighty here we go! ((Sorry that was a short one :p ))**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing guys?**

**Reactions? Predictions? Suggestions?**

**R&R**


	3. 3 Bad news times three

**Hey guys! Updated as quick as I could! ****J**

**Disclaimer: I own Emmeline, Tristan, Chase, Adele, Jamie, Bryce, Avril, plot, and nothing else. **

**Chloe's POV.**

"N-nick?" I asked. It came out a whisper. He studied me, then came closer.

"You can see me?" He asked, his voice husky. I slowly nodded, and glanced at Tori, who was now staring at me blankly. Emmeline yelped and stretched her arms out toward Nick.

I swallowed and looked back to him. "How did you escape?" I asked quietly, praying he didn't answer the way I though he would.

He looked me up and down grimly.

"I didn't." His green eyes bore into mine. My heart snapped.

They'd killed Nick.

He was a ghost.

I had to look away. "W-w-why are you here?" I whispered. Tori stood, a confused look on her face.

"Chloe?" She asked, looking in the general are I was talking to. I pursed my lips.

Nick glanced at her, then looked back to me. "It's…_them._" His face darkened. Tori, who was now standing behind him, mouthed "_Ghost?"_

I nodded to her, and she went to pick Emmeline up.

"Them? The Edison Group?" I asked. I heard footsteps in the hall and turned to find Simon and Derek, staring at me, both of them looking confused.

When I turned back, Nick was studying Derek with an indescribable expression. It was the look I imagined a father would have glancing down at his son's dead body at a wake.

That grim thought darkened my mood even more.

Nick nodded turned back to me and nodded. "I needed to warn all of you, and Adele," He now looked pained. "That…The Edison Group…they're _planning."_

"Planning what?" I asked anxiously. In that second, my hopes for a break from danger had totally disappeared.

Derek came up behind me. "Who is it?" he whispered in my ear. But I couldn't answer; My throat had gone dry. I mean, I couldn't exactly say _Oh, no one, just your dead father. _

"They're planning and ambush. And they're kidnapping people. To build up an army. To take you down." Nick's face became deadly serious.

My heart sped up. An _army?_

"When are they coming?" I asked. Everyone around seemed focused on me now. Everyone was silent.

Nick shook his head. "No idea. But be ready. They've got some nasty tricks…" He shook his head again, this time sadly. "And…can you tell Adele that-"

"So Tori, I think the reason for the rapid development-" Adele said, stepping into the room. When she caught the tension in the air, she stopped.

"What's wrong?" She said quickly. Nick moved past me to her. He stroked her cheek. Adele shivered.

"Oh Adele." Nick murmured, his voice hushed.

"There's a ghost," Tori explained, cradling Emmeline against her chest.

Adele looked around. "Do you know him?" She asked. "What has he told you?" She moved toward me know, face expecting. Simon stood behind her, looking worried.

I had to tell them.

Adele couldn't go on thinking he was alive, could she?

It would be wrong to give her false hope.

"I-it's…" I had to take a deep breath. "It's Nick." I finished, and took another breath.

Adele stared blankly at me for a minute, then her hands flew to her mouth.

"No." She cried. "_No."_

Nick wrapped his arms around her, but they went through. He turned back to me quickly. "Tell her I love her." He demanded.

I swallowed. Derek grabbed my hand and held it to his chest.

"He says he loves you," I said, but my voice cracked. Seeing Adele look so devastated….It broke my heart.

Adele broke into sobs then. Simon stood behind her, his brows furrowed. Tori looked away from Adele, and Emmeline reached out again toward Nick. She let out a little yelp.

Nick looked as if he was about to cry, too, at that moment, but instead, he paced the room quickly.

He turned up and looked at me again.

"Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I was stupid. Tell he I missed her. Tell her I'd give anything to be with her…" He looked away again.

I took a breath and translated to Adele. She looked up for a second, tears still running down her cheeks, and coughed out an "I love you, too."

It was heart-wrenching.

Derek came down to my ear again. "Why is he here?" he asked in a hushed tone, letting Adele have her moment.

I turned to him. "The Edison group is on to us. They're kidnapping people. To build an…an army, and to take us down." I said under my breath. His eyes anxiously scanned my face. "When?" He asked, his voice nervous.

I looked around again. Tori, Simon, and Nick were all trying to comfort Adele.

I turned back to him. "He doesn't know," I glanced at Nick. "But soon." I concluded. Derek took a second to take it all in, and then he rushed out of the room, going who-knows-where.

Nick turned to me, glanced at the door, then back at me.

"Chloe," He said, his voice so gruff, so raw with emotion, it made my insides melt. I nodded. He came closer to me.

"Take car of her," he almost whispered. I nodded. His eyes burned into mine. "Please. And make sure to tell Derek that he is-" He stopped, and his form sizzled. His face went blank.

"Nick?" Adele asked, her voice husky. I think he turned to her, but I couldn't be sure; I couldn't really make his form out anymore.

"Nick?" I echoed. All I could see now was a sort of mist in the place he used to be. All I heard, was one last strained "Adele…"

And then he was gone.

I tried to pull him back, but it didn't work. I furrowed my brows and tried again, but gave up. So many emotions ran in me, I couldn't focus anymore.

"Nick?" Adele sniffed again.

The Edison Group was on their way. Our moving hadn't done _anything. _They were kidnapping. Forcing people to join them. To go against _us?_

Could we ever get a break?

I turned slowly to Tori, Simon, and Adele.

"He's gone." I whispered.

And Adele broke into sobs again.

Derek told Aunt Lauren and Kit, who were know in the kitchen with Adele, discussing what the _hell_ we were going to do.

Everyone sat in the living room in a daze; Tori, holding the Tristan, blankly staring off into space. Simon; drawing something, his expression also blank. Across from him, sitting on the floor, was Avril, who also seemed to be doing something on paper. She seemed the happiest of the bunch, her face calm as she scribbled into a pad of sticky-notes. I wondered how she got them.

Last came Derek and I, sitting on the couch, blankly staring t the T.V. Derek flipped through channels looking for something cheery. He flipped to a news channel.

"-What seems to be a mass kidnapping here, in Buffalo, New York." The prim news lady's voice said through the T.V.

I immediately turned my attention to it.

"Nathan Bozian, an eighteen year-old graduate from local art school, went out last night with friends to what was to be a normal, teenage house party,"

The screen scanned to a very fimallar place, and my jaw dropped.

My old school.

The "local" art school.

Nathan Bozian.

Nate.

_Oh. _

_My. _

_Freaking. _

_God. _

The screen now scanned a picture of Nate. God, did he look older. But his smile…._that_ stayed the same. And his eyes.

Yes, this was definitely Nate.

"The problem?" The lady paused for dramatic effect. "Nathan never returned home." The lady said. I sat on the edge of my seat.

My heart beat double time.

"No," I whispered.

"Chloe?" Derek asked, his brows furrowed.

The screen now showed Nate's mother, who's hair was now graying and had bags under her eyes. She looked…_sick.. _

She sniffed. "We waited and waited. He usually doesn't stay out this late. This is so horrible," Mrs. Bozian's eyes began to water. "I don't want any mother to go through this." She started crying again.

"Nathan wasn't the only one missing.. Police reports all over the city report missing teens, and in one or two accounts, adults, too. Among the missing are Thalia Messings, Jacob Florez,"

Their pictures scanned at the bottom of the screen as the lady announced their names. Thankfully, none of the others seemed fimallar.

"-Tina DayWolf, Peter Johnston, Ben Longing, Jason Kings, Natalia Readings, Ian Makes, and many more. You can go to our website for a list of all the missing, and if you know anything about the kidnapiing, please, we urge you to call Police." The lady on the news finished.

The screen turned now to a middle aged, grey haired man. "Thank you, Jean. Breaks my heart to see such beautiful young people like that go missing." The man shook his head, then slowly smiled. " Now, on a lighter note, today-" he rambled on about some festival in California. But I didn't listen.

I was way to busy trying to comprehend what I had just learned.

The Edison Group kidnapped Nate.

Did they know I knew him?

Was this blackmail?

"Chloe?" Simon asked, he now turned and looked at me. I realized _everyone_ was looking at me. And I still had my mouth open.

But I didn't shut it. I couldn't move.

Finally, I remembered how to swallow again. Then how to move my jaw.

Then, I shouted,

"_Aunt Lauren!"_

**Ba-ba-DUMMMMMMMMMMMM!**

**Lol. Okay, sorry about the whole new thing, im not a new reporter, I don't know how that report would've gone. I just made it up as I went along. **

**And I know your pissed Nick's dead. SORRY. ****L**

**And ill give you some news about CHASE in the next chapter. Some time soon. **

**Predictions? Comments? Anything?**

**R&R!**


	4. 4 Inevitable Death

**Awwwlllllrighty! Here's four!**

**NOTE::: AFTER THIS CHAPTER, I WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THE RATING TO M! AGAIN:::: I WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THE RATING TO M AFTER THIS! M, M, M, M!**

**Disclaimer: I own Emmeline, Chase, Tristan, Jamie, Bryce, Avril, Adele, plot and nothing more. **

**Bryce's POV. **

I was in my room-more like closet, if you asked me-when Avril came running in.

"Bryce," She said, her tone alarmed. I furrowed my brows and sat up from the bed.

"You have to get downstairs. Were having a…" she shook her head, looking for words. "Meeting." She finished.

I snorted. "Meeting?" I asked. Avril glared at me. "It's not funny. It's serious. Chloe talked to some ghost, and-"

"Chloe can talk to ghosts?" I interrupted. I cocked my head to the side, curious.

Avril leaned against the door frame. "Yeah, I guess. But he said-"

"Since when?" I asked. Avril sighed.

"I don't know-it doesn't matter. The Edison Group… they're kidnapping people to kill us." She rushed the words out, and then waited for a reaction.

I blinked. Three times.

"_What?_" the word flew out of my mouth. Avril nodded, approving of my reaction. I suddenly rushed toward her.

"People we know? Or just….random?" I asked, one face filling every corner of my mind.

_Jamie._

Avril shook her head, then stopped. "Well, they took one of Chloe's old friends. But other then that…." she looked me up and down, then smiled sadly.

"No, they didn't show Jamie." She said quietly, knowing that's all I was concerned with.

I let out a deep breath, then made my way back to my bed, part of my relieved, and part of me…._disappointed. _

We hadn't heard from Jamie once, _once_, since we left everyone.

Maybe she couldn't go. Maybe she tried, and they threatened to kill her if she did.

After all, it was that kind of a pack.

Avril grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" She asked. I turned back to her.

"It's called a bed. It's where most people sleep."

She glared at me. "Are vampires even supposed to sleep?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Until the day blood passes my lips," I vowed. "I will not honor this vampire shit one bit. I'm gunna keep living like I always did."

Avril frowned. "Whatever. I'm going to help them." She announced, and stomped out of the room.

I sighed when she left, then decided to see what's going on. Better to know then to be left out.

As I walked out of the room, I heard crying. I paused and listened. It was a girl. An older girl.

Despite my instincts to avoid the crying, I sighed again and walked into the kitchen.

A circle of faces, all grim, looked up at me from the small table. When the Adele lady turned, she sniffed.

_Ah, _I thought.

I looked around for Avril, expecting her to be standing, looming over by the counter.

It took me a minute to find her. She was wedged between Simon and Kit.

A lump formed in my throat. How could she just adapt like that?

Then I forced the real question to the surface:

Why couldn't I?

**Chloe POV.**

I was shaking.

Not because I was afraid.

Not because I was on the verge of tears.

Because I was so. Damn. _Angry. _

Derek tried his best to comfort me, but nobody could. No. _They'd gone too far._

Nate didn't deserve any of this. We were the reason for these kidnappings.

I felt guilty, like we should call the police and leave something. Some kind of clue.

_Oh yeah. Let's call New York from Chicago, and say, "Hey, this psycho group is trying to kill us because our magical powers are out of control, and so to lure us in, they've kidnapped my old friend and a bunch of random kids to do they're dirty work."_

Next call the police department would make:

Mental Home.

And we'd already been there.

I took two deep breaths, trying desperately to calm down.

"Alright." Kit was the first to speak, trying to sound collected and together.

Aunt Lauren looked me over. "You're sure it was Nate?"

"Yes!" I screeched and bolted out of my seat. My chair fell backward and hit the ground, but I didn't give a care.

Kit swallowed. "Alright, let's be calm about this. Maybe it wasn't them. Maybe it was a fluke." He shrugged like it was nothing.

That really pissed me off.

"How could it _not_ be the Edison Group? There's no way it could be a coincidence." I barked.

Everyone was silent, until Derek piped up with "She's right."

Simon looked at Kit. "What are we going to do?" He asked worriedly.

"Fight." Derek chimed in. I gave him a look. Aunt Lauren shook her head.

"If we fight, we die." She said grimly.

"We should move." Bryce said, his tone as casually as if he'd just suggested we'd take a nice stroll in the park.

Tori snorted. "That won't fix _anything."_ She turned back to look at him, and they glared at each other for a minute.

We heard a wail from the living room, and Tori shot up from her seat and ran toward it.

"We have to fight." Derek insisted. I glared at him.

"No, we have to-"

"We don't stand a chance." Adele muttered. All eyes turned to her, though she didn't look up. She folded and unfolded her hands.

She let out a bitter laugh.

"That, what you saw back there? What we just fought? Was nothing. Absolutely _nothing._" Her tone darkened, leaving everyone silent.

"No! Tristan, that's not food!" Tori called from the living room.

Adele finally looked up, her gaze bouncing from face to face.

"We do not stand a chance." She repeated.

She then looked down. "But those…those _monsters,_ they killed Nick." Her voice lowered.

She looked up again.

"If we fight, we will die. End of story. No happily ever after. It's almost positive. But you know what? I'm going to go down fighting." She announced, her voice now strong.

Tori came back in the room, carrying Tristan and Emmeline on either of her hips. She looked around, feeling the tension in the room.

And ever so slowly, Simon stood up.

"Me too." He said. His face sad, yet as strong as Adele's words.

It was the look a recent high school graduate going off to war would have. Proud and brave on the outside, But if you looked deep enough, you could tell on the inside he was terrified.

Avril stood next.

"We've got nothing better to do. We'll gladly fight with you. We can be you're secret weapon." She smiled. Bryce shot her a speak-for-yourself look.

Then, to my complete and utter horror, Derek stood.

"We go down fighting." He said, his voice sure.

A little part of me died right there.

Derek looked to me, and I could see he was feeling what I was. This was it. This could be the end.

Aunt Lauren and Kit stood, and then, I couldn't take it. I couldn't sit there and watch my best friends get killed. I couldn't sit there and see my Aunt volunteer to be a distraction.

I couldn't watch when Derek and Adele started to plan out our attack, which was inevitably be our demise.

And so, I rushed out of the room, through the hallway, to a room a presumed was Bryce and Avril's, slammed the door, then locked it tight.

About an hour, later, I was still in there, slumped against the door, my mind in deep thought.

Tears had come to my eyes once or twice, thinking what could be, if we don't die. But then I'd kill those thoughts, stopping hope from tricking me.

I'd gone over a couple different scenarios.

Derek and I would get married have kids, they'd grown up and have kids, and then, when we were wwwwaayyyy old, we'd pass. But it would be natural. And we'd be okay with it.

Or I would become a director. I could bring so many different stories to the screen, and Derek and I would be happily married, living out in New York, and we'd have kids, and we'd all be so-

I jumped when I felt the door vibrate. It took me a second to realize someone was _knocking._

And only one person knocked that hard.

I got up, and slowly opened the door.

"Hey." Derek said, his face turning soft.

I looked away.

He entered the room and I went back to sitting on the floor. He crouched down to my level.

"Chloe." He said softly. The back of his hand grazed my cheek. I started at the floor.

"Everything's going to be okay." He tried to assure me. I bolted up.

"How can you say that? We're going to _die_. Don't you dare tell me there's a chance we won't." My voice broke.

He sighed and stood. "I'm not going to lie," He started, then closed his eyes.

"_I'm_ going to die." He confirmed. Suddenly his green eyes flashed open.

"But Chloe, I swear to _God, _we're gunna put up one _hell_ of a fight. I'm not going to give up, and neither are you." His voice dropped an octave.

"And you're not going to die," He whispered, and stepped closer to me.

"You're going to live Chloe. I'm going to make sure of that."

I stepped closer to him, my arms crossed. "I'm not going to live if you die. Where am I going to go? Back home? The Edison Group will kill me anyway. It's a pointless cause. But I'm not about to let you commit suicide." I argued.

Derek rolled his eyes. "It's not su-"

"Yes it _is Derek!_ You said so yourself! You're killing yourself!" I barked.

He glowered down at me. "Chloe, it's the only way."

"No it's not! You can…" I groaned. "Derek we can leave, we can just…" I shook my head.

The tears started to fall then. Derek wiped then with his thumb, and then leaned down and kissed me.

This kiss, this kiss was so much different. Like it connected us. I could almost feel our souls intertwining, our beings becoming one…

The kiss got deeper.

Derek pulled me up to him, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, like I had done when I'd found him at the movies. His strong arms wrapped around me, supporting me to him.

We pulled apart for air, but it was only a second before we went at each other again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him even closer, if that was possible.

Electricity ran through me. Little jolts pulling me closer to him. And I loved him. With everything I had.

Derek backed up for a second, all the way to the ajar door.

And then, with his foot, he nudged it shut.

**Ok, I'm going to have to change it now! AGAIN, to M, M, M, M, M, M!**

**Soooo….**

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	5. 5 Consequences

**Ok guyyzzz! Here we go! CHAPTAHHHHHH FIIIVVVEEEE!**

**!READ****** FIRST, I wanna let you guys know (( if you don't already know)) THAT THE RECKONING IS NOMINATED FOR BEST READ ON THE TEEN READ AWARDS! GO AND VOTE PPL! DO IT FOR DEREK AND CHLOE! DO IT SO ILL KEEP ON WRITING! DO IT BECAUSE THIS BOOK DESERVES FANDOM LIKE TWILIGHT!*******!**

**Disclaimer: I own Emmeline, Tristan, Chase, Adele, Bryce, Jamie, Avril, Nick *although he's dead.* and Plot. And then, nothing else, sadly. **

**Though I might fight Chloe for Derek. *insert smiley face***

**Bryce's POV. **

After the cheery meeting in the kitchen, I automatically went back to hibernate in my room.

On my way there, I contemplating why in the _hell_ my sister was going to give up her life for these people. They were ok; I'd give them that. Hell, they'd saved us. But I wasn't going to let Avril die for them. _That_ was just stupid, and illogical.

When I reached my door, I grabbed for the handle, turned, and put little pressure on it.

But it didn't budge. I jiggled it, and banged on it, but still, nothing. I sighed, and then sniffed.

It smelled of werewolf. The exact same scent my old werewolf pack had. I cocked my head to the side, confused.

No one from my old pack could've gotten in, could they?

I jiggled the door knob again, half worried, half anxious. Maybe it was…Jamie.

But then I took another sniff, and after a second, I realized it was just…_Big foot._

I took a giant step back, confused. Why did he smell like us? Like them? He definitely wasn't in my pack. If he was, he would've commented when Blondie had found me. Something like,

_Hey, aren't you Alpha's son? The one that never changes? The messed up one who stays human? The one Alpha cuts and hurts, because you're a disgrace to his name? Because you're supposed to be heir to the pack, but you can't be, because your not one of us? The one who ran away like a coward?_

I gritted my teeth together. Yeah. That was me.

I gave up on the door, but I couldn't help but wonder what Big Foot was in there for.

I waltzed back into the kitchen, unsure of what to do, and found Avril and Simon sitting at the table. Talking. Smiling. I wasn't sure how they could be smiling so soon after announcing their death minutes ago.

I looked around and also found Kit, Chloe's aunt, and the Adele woman all circled around the counter. They were talking in hushed tones. I heard a baby's giggle, and my eyes darted over the room, searching for a baby.

Then, I spotted the baby (Emmeline, I presumed) being bounced on Avril's lap. Avril didn't seem to notice me watching. Simon was fixated on her. A grin was slid across Avril's face.

I smiled, a little. Avril hadn't smiled like that since we'd ran away. Even though _I_ didn't really like the kid…He didn't seem…_that_ bad.

As if he could read my mind, Simon's head popped up and he glanced at me, blankly at first. My grin disappeared real fast.

Yeah, he wasn't that bad. But I wasn't about to let _him_ know that.

Simon narrowed his eyes at me; not suspiciously, curiously. I pursed my lips and Avil looked up slowly to me, a smile still on her lips. The leaders (my new decided nickname for Kit, Adele, and Lauren) kept on talking, not acknowledging me.

I stared at Simon for a second longer, then bored, decided a nice hot shower would be great.

Avril and I hadn't come across many hot showers when we left; we skipped from place to place every so often, under aliases so the pack couldn't track us down and kill us for leaving. We usually left before we got too attached to people, or before somebody started asking questions.

I turned and walked down the hall, shaking my head. I was facing the bathroom door before I realized I needed a towel.

I sighed, then cussed under my breath. Then the door flew open.

The first thing I saw was her face. It was Tori, black circles under her eyes, her wet hair sprawled out over her shoulders….

….And she was in a towel.

I caught my breath, and redness crept up onto my cheeks. I frowned at the warmth on them now.

I expected Tori to get embarrassed, too. Maybe to mumble an apology and walk away. But she didn't. She just stood there, perfectly comfortable, eyeing me, her arms across her chest.

Her eyes finally met mine. "Hi," She said.

I blinked. "Uh, hi." I muttered. I wanted to leave, to make her forget this one moment of weakness of me, but my feet couldn't move. _Damn_, I thought.

She took a deep breath. "Hey, could you cut out the whole _I'm too cool for this_ act? It's _really_ getting old. And you're not fooling anyone." her eyes became judgmental.

I rose my eyebrows. She didn't take her eyes off mine for a minute.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my confidence now on the rise. After a second or two, I shook myself out of this weird state and finally thought of a comeback. "What about you? You're on your guard twenty-four seven. The tough girl act? Not buying it." I scowled. Tori blinked, and took a step back.

"Excuse me?" She asked, her brows furrowing. "Tough girl act?" She snorted.

She pushed past me then, purposely hitting my shoulder on the way out.

"You're just embarrassed I look damn good in a towel." She called over her shoulder, and padded down the hall.

I smiled a little, again. But then it quickly disappeared. If I was going to get a mushy as Avril, I'd be screwed.

So I shook it off, entered the bathroom, shut the door, and contemplated how I could get Avril to leave before everyone took off to fight the Edison Group.

Before everyone went off to die.

**Chloe's POV.**

I felt…weird. Walking into the kitchen a while later, knowing everyone was in the house while…well, you know.

It was very awkward going into the kitchen, with Adele, Kit, and Aunt Lauren after. And it would be even weirder seeing Bryce, remembering how he had banged on the door…I winced at the thought.

Adele's head popped up when I walked into the kitchen.

"Training starts tomorrow." She said, her voice solemn.

It took me a few seconds to remember. _We were attacking the Edison Group. _

I kept my head down, nodding. If I looked up at any of them, my face would definitely go red.

"Well, where have _you _been?" Kit accused. My heart sped up as I tried to conduct a lie.

"Oh, she was taking a shower." Tori's voice chimed. I looked up to find Tori, coming to the rescue, sweeping into the kitchen from the living room. Her hair was messy, and she was carrying Tristan with one arm.

"I thought you were in there…?" Kit asked. Tori shot me a look, so fast I couldn't be sure. It was an I've-got-this-covered look. Which meant she knew.

Crap.

Her eyes darted back to Kit. "No." She shook her head, furrowing her brows.

Kit looked between us. "But when you left the kitchen earlier, you said-"

"Kit, which way would be for sufficient?" Aunt Lauren called over her shoulder. She was looming over a map of sorts on the table. Adele, who was sitting next to her, glanced suspiciously at me, then to Kit.

He pursed his lips, then turned and walked to the table. Tori immediately shot me another look, and gestured for me to follow her. She turned, heading back to the living room, and with a glance over my shoulder at Kit, who was looking at me funny, I followed her out of the kitchen.

The living room was empty, so as soon as we entered it, Tori grabbed my arm and dragged me to the couch. We plopped down on it.

Tristan mumbled excitedly, and Tori smiled at him brightly for a second. She held him tighter to her, then turned to me hesitantly.

"You guys _are_ engaged." She whispered. "It's not a crime."

I bit my lip. "I know…but-"

"This isn't your first time, _is it?"_ She asked, her eyes widening, her tone lowering.

I almost laughed at her expression, but the only thing that came out was a muffled little yelp. I cringed at the noise.

"No," I relived Tori of her anxiety. "It's not." I whispered back.

Tori's eyes widened even more. "Oh god," She muttered, his face twisting.

She opened her mouth again, as if to ask a question, but she then shut it quickly and shook her head.

"Well," She gulped. "Then its no big deal. They're old," Tori gestured with her head in the way of the kitchen. "They won't know. And you used protection, so everything's cool." Tori shrugged.

My stomach did a flip. I looked down and nodded silently. I could feel my cheeks flaming.

Three second of silence went by.

"…Chloe? You guys _did_ use protection, right?" Tori murmured.

I sucked in a breath, and shut my eyes tight. There it was, out in the open. The horrible truth.

I shook my head _no._

"_Chloe!"_ Tori gasped. I quickly looked up to her, alarmed at how her voice had risen.

Her mouth hung open. "You two know how dangerous this is!" She barked.

I struggled for words to say.

"My- well- it's- _Tori-"_ I stammered. My cheeks were so red, I felt like I was a glowing like a red stoplight.

"-And Derek should know better!" Tori lowered her tone, but the harshness was still there. Tristan cried out, and Tori turned to him for a second. She started bouncing her hip, and Tristan smiled a little.

Tori studied Tristan for a second before turning back to me. "What are you gunna do if your pregnant?" She whispered, her eyes accusing.

My heart raced, and Tori's words rang in my ears.

"_What are you gunna do if you're pregnant?"_

What if I was? What would we do? We weren't even thinking. At that moment, there were so many problems, so many emotions ragging through my mind, and then, with that first kiss in Bryce's room, it was all…gone.

I took a deep breath a truly considered:

_What if I'm pregnant?_

Hope ran through me. Then I furrowed my brows.

Being pregnant wasn't a good thing. We were going to die.

Actually, It would be a terrible thing. I'd be killing myself as well as my baby.

A dark depressing feeling filled my heart. How could I kill my baby? My hands fluttered to my stomach. Then I stopped myself.

I didn't even know if I _was_ pregnant.

I pursed my lips. "I'm not pregnant." I said, looking strait at Tori seriously, trying to convince her as well as myself. I was not pregnant. I just _couldn't _be.

"And I wouldn't be pregnant by now, anyway." I reasoned and shrugged.

Tori narrowed her eyes at me.

"How do you know that?" Tori breathed, shaking her head. She leaned toward me. "You _never_ know if-"

Tori stopped and turned around. I followed her gaze, praying to God it wasn't Aunt Lauren, or Kit, or Adele, or Avril-

I turned, and caught my breath.

Well, it wasn't Aunt Lauren.

Derek's jaw was set, his impossibly green eyes darting between Tori and I. His dark hair was tousled, like it always was when he just got out of the shower.

He gave Tori a brief look, something that said _You better not be talking about what I think you were talking about. _It wasn't menacing, it was more like…_pleading._

Then he glanced to me. He looked….confused. And scared.

I hadn't even factored Derek in when I thought about my possible pregnancy. How would it effect him? Us? How would he take it?

What if we both died? Would our baby survive?

Stupid question. If I _was_ pregnant, of _course_ our baby would survive. He/She would have to. Derek would take care of him/her. Because I wasn't going to let Derek die either.

Derek swallowed, and opened his mouth slightly, but then shut it, not tearing his gaze away from mine.

He looked down, slowly. He looked like he was thinking hard. Then, like nothing had happened, he turned and walked away, into the kitchen.

I stared at where he just stood, dumbstruck. Then I got up from the couch, and quickly jogged into the kitchen. I heard Tori sigh right as I stepped into the kitchen.

Aunt Lauren was quietly discussing things with Kit at the table, just where we left them. Derek was rummaging through the cabinets for something quickly.

He opened another cabinet door, then paused, and looked at me over his shoulder. I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. His look said he understood what I was about to say.

"Out there." He said quietly. And I saw it in his face. He was scared.

Derek was hardly ever scared. Ever. Not once when we were up against the Edison Group did he look defeated. Not once did he look afraid.

No, Derek was our leader. He _couldn't _be scared. He had to be there for me. When _I_ was afraid. When _I_ felt defeated. Now, I had to be strong for him.

I nodded, and we crossed out of the kitchen to the small hallway. We walked to the very end of the hall, right in front of the bathroom.

I stared at the bathroom door for a second, contemplating whether we should go in or not. When I looked back up, Derek was looming over me, leaning against the wall. He looked down at me. He looked almost pained, his eyes scanning my face, his lips turned slightly down, his brows slightly furrowed. Suddenly, he sighed.

"We were stupid." He muttered, a tone of disgust in his voice.

I shook my head, and glanced down the end of the hall.

"Derek, there was so much we had to worry about, we couldn't possibly think of-"

"I should've been thinking," He interrupted me, and I turned back to him.

"After what happened to Tori?" He shook his head, then stared blankly at the wall. "I should've been thinking." He muttered again.

"I'm not pregnant." I said in the strongest, surest voice I could manage. His eyes snapped back to me.

"Chloe. Like Tori said. You can't be sure. Not for-"

"Do you hear anything?" I asked, gesturing with my hand to my stomach. Derek paused, took a breath, then shook his head.

"See? Then I'm not pregnant." I assured him. He studied me deeply for a moment.

"But Chloe," He protested.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "_You_ would know if something was growing inside you, wouldn't you?" I asked.

"Yeah." He muttered, sounding defeated.

My eyes flashed open again. "And I would know if something was growing in me. It's fine. I feel totally normal." I said, trying to keep my tone even.

He studied me again. "If you get sick, or if you feel weird, you tell me right away, okay?" He asked, his brows turning down in worry.

I swallowed and nodded. Derek kissed the top of my head, then left.

And I hoped he didn't look back at me. I hoped he hadn't heard the tiny inflection in my voice.

Because I didn't feel normal at all. And it _did_ feel like there was something in me.

I hoped Derek hadn't noticed I'd just straight out lied to him.

**Okay. This week was my bday, the start of school, the start of soccer, and the start of going to bed earlier. So im VERY VERY VERY VERY SORRY this is late!**

**I'm going to try and update the next one really soon, to make up for it. I'll TRY. I might not be able too. **

**Anywho, **

**SO! Reviews? Predictions? Is Chloe pregoz? What are they going to do if she is? And what about Bryce? He was in a pack. Alpha's son, no less. Think anythings gunna happen there? What about him and Tori? **

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	6. 6 Flashes of Red

**You guys are amazing. I know I've said that before, but SIXTY reviews on FOUR chapters? That's ridiculous! I love u guys! Keep on reviewin' and I'll keep on writtin'!**

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Adele, Emmeline, Trsitan, Chase, Nick (dead), Jamie, Bryce and Avril's pack, and maybe some Jr. Derek and Chloe's in the future….*wink*….AND plot. But then nothing else. Dang. **

**Chloe's POV.**

"No, no, _no._" Adele sighed. "If you want to kill him right away, go for the back of his neck. Don't hesitate."

Adele moved my hand so it was directly over the back of Simon's neck. Then suddenly, she slammed the side of my hand hard against it.

"_Ow!"_ Simon called out, and whirled around. I turned quickly around, too, to stare at Adele. _What the hell?_

"Why'd you do that?" Simon yelled, rubbing his neck, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Adele shrugged. "It's just a demonstration. Now come on. Man up and let's try this again." She put her hands on her hips.

Simon shot me a withered look.

We'd been practicing in the way-too-small living room for almost three hours now, nonstop. I'd faced Derek, Tori, Derek again, and now Simon. I was pretty exhausted; my limbs felt achy, and I could feel the ghost of a headache starting in the back of my head.

I groaned and turned back to Adele. "Can we take a break?' I asked. My eye lids were starting to droop, and my back starting to ache, too. I was falling apart at the seems.

Adele shook her head no. "_They_ won't take a break. They never take breaks." Adele's face turned deadly serious.

"They don't breath, or blink either. Or take bathroom breaks. They know and see _all._" Simon mimicked Adele's voice, then rolled his eyes. "One break won't kill us."

But Adele didn't back down quiet yet. "What are you going to do when were fighting? We may be in there for hours. You can't take breaks." Adele's tone became harsher.

But I wasn't going to push it. I was tired now, dammit, and I was going to go lay down.

I sighed, and stomped out of the living room to the kitchen.

My stomach rumbled, and I suddenly was over come with a sickening feeling. The headache In my head and gone into a full out throbbing now, and my back was stiff as a board.

My stomach churned again, and I lurched forward suddenly, over the sink.

And then I threw up.

When I finished, I grabbed a handful of napkins and cleaned off my mouth. Panting, I then threw the napkins away and shakily opened the cabinet above me for a glass. I filled it with water, and then cleaned my mouth out.

Then, much to my dismay, my throat began to burn again, my stomach churned, and I barfed into the sink once again.

As morning's breakfast was making its way back out of me, I felt cool hands collect my hair and pick it up off my sweaty neck. I was very grateful.

When it was finished, I repeated my previous cleaning ritual, then turned to find Tori standing behind me, her eyes sympathetic. The corners of her mouth were turned sharply down, and her arms were crossed.

"You shouldn't be training if your pregnant." She whispered. My breath caught.

It took me a second to collect my thoughts. I hadn't eaten anything bad. Was I sick? It was possible. We were all crammed into the tiny house, and germs sure did spread quickly. I thought I'd heard Aunt Lauren coughing earlier.

It could've just easily been that. A cold.

But who was I fooling?

I shook even harder. "I-I-" I stammered.

"Come on." Tori murmured. She grabbed me lightly by the shoulders and led me to the room she had been holed up in only days ago with Tristan and Emmeline.

The room was about walk-in-closet size, with a simple plain bed pushed up against the plain white wall. The room reminded me of a mental; asylum.

I walked to the bed, still wobbly, and plopped down on it.

My stomach churned. I groaned, and laid down on the bed, pulling my legs up to my chest. I closed my eyes, tight, as if somehow that could take the pain away.

Tori rubbed my leg comfortingly, and then sighed.

"We really should get you a test," She murmured in a worried tone.

My eyes flashed open to find Tori's face as worried as her words.

I pursed my lips. "I'm just…tired." I mumbled. But my words came out jumbled, and it just sounded like a bunch of nonsense.

A crash came from somewhere, probably the living room, and Tori jumped. She pursed her lips, and then headed to the door.

"I'll be out there if you need me." She said softly.

Then someone popped into my mind.

"Tori?" I croaked from the bed as she was halfway out the door. At first, I didn't think she could hear me, but then she slowly turned.

I cleared my throat once she was facing me.

"Don't…._please_ don't say anything to Derek." I pleaded. If he saw me like this, he'd freak. And go to the worst possible possibility. The one I promised him I wasn't.

Tori hesitated, then after about two minutes, slowly nodded.

I let out a sigh of relief, and then closed my eyes, my thoughts darting between what could be going on with me -_if_ anything was going on with me- and Derek.

I guess that's what inspired my dream.

_I was lying in a field. There was a nice breeze, which rustled the tall grass around me. I drew tiny circles on my bloated stomach with my finger, day dreaming about a little white house and a white picket house to match, as cheesy as it sounded. _

_My head laid in Derek's lap. Derek was staring off into space too. But not in an alarmed way, like he did when someone was going to attack us. No, his eyes were warm, and the corners of his mouth were turned slightly up. _

_Suddenly, I broke out of my trance and looked up to him. "What are we going to name him?" I asked, my voice light and carefree. I hadn't sounded that way for a long, long time. _

"_Hmm?" Derek asked, blinked, and looked down at me. It took him a second, but he caught on. He narrowed his eyes. "How do you know it's going to be a he?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. _

_I shrugged. "Or a she. I'm not going to take sides." I smiled. _

_Derek grinned, then looked down to my stomach. "I don't know. It's your call." He said._

_I frowned. "No. Your going to help me name our baby, mister." I poked him in the chest with my finger. He chuckled, and grabbed my hand. _

_Then someone approached us. _

_I didn't recognize the first person to show up at all. Then another stranger showed up next to the first. And another. And another. _

_They all looked alike. Buff men, some with tattoos and scars on their faces. Most of them looked around our age. A girl with big blue eyes and red hair peeked out from behind one of the guys. _

_I looked back at Derek confused. His face looked grim. _

"_What's wrong?" I whispered. _

_Derek's gaze switched from the people back to me. "Nothing." He said. But it was obviously something. _

_He kissed my hand, laid it on my stomach, then got up. I looked at him, confused. _

_And then he made his way over to the strangers. And he joined them. _

"Chloe."

I woke up with a start. Sweat covered my forehead. I bolted up, panting, and looked around.

I was still in the asylum room. I turned, looking behind me to see who had said my name. When I didn't find anyone, I furrowed my brows. Then I looked down.

Simon sat on the floor, cross legged. He looked worried.

I ran a hand through my hair, and let out a sigh of relief. "You scared me."

He sighed. "You scared _me._ I came in here to tell you about the walk but you were talking in your sleep. Something about strangers and baby names…?" He cocked his head to the side, implying that I fill in.

Instead, I swallowed. I wasn't going to tell Simon. If I did, that was one step away from Derek. And how would it feel, finding out your fiancé is pregnant by talking with your brother?

I shook my head. _I'm not pregnant. _

Though it sure did seem like it. I bit my lip.

To get away from the subject, I picked up on something else he had said. "Walk?' I asked.

"Yeah," Simon said. "We figured as long as were in Chicago, we might as well make the best of it. We were going to walk around the city, maybe go shopping?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "And I _know_ how you love shopping."

I smiled a little. "Did they leave yet?" I asked. Taking a walk around the city would be a nice distraction.

Simon shook his head. "Were waiting for you."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Did Tori tell you I was in here?" I asked.

Simon stood up. "Yeah. And she made a big deal I don't tell Derek why."

I stopped. My heart raced and my eyes froze on his. "W-why?" I repeated.

Simon guiltily looked down. "You should tell him." He almost whispered.

I bolted up on my feet. "She told you?" I exclaimed.

Simon put a finger to his mouth. I sighed.

"I kind of dragged it out of her," Simon said after a moment of silence. "It isn't her fault. And I won't tell Derek. Though I strongly suggest you do."

I swallowed. "But we don't even know if I am." I whispered back.

Simon paused, considering.

"Chloe?" Aunt Lauren's voice chimed.

Simon whirled around, and I caught my breath as she peeked in the room. She opened the door wider when she saw me.

"There you are." She breathed, and smiled. Then her brows scrunched up. "Why are you in here?" She asked.

For lack of better excuse, and because my head was so jumbled I couldn't come up with one, I just shrugged.

Aunt Lauren shook her head. "Anyway, are you coming with us or what?" She glanced at Simon and gave him a funny look. I could tell she was confused why we were in such a small room together.

"Yeah." I nodded. Aunt Lauren smiled, and walked away. Simon shot me a look.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" he asked.

I walked to the door, and looked back on him. "Like I said. We don't even know if I am. Let's not freak out until we know for sure." My voice broke on the last word.

Simon let out a breath, then nodded to himself.

As soon as I was out of Tori's room, my hands immediately flew to my belly.

_Let's not freak until we know for sure._ I thought, trying to convince myself.

**Bryce's POV.**

Avril and I had been in Chicago before.

Actually, it's where we started out. Until Daddy dearest came along and dragged us out to join the pack.

The wind was fierce. It whipped at our faces, kicking up leaves and dirt. A car alarm went off somewhere in the distance, and someone cursed loudly.

I smiled. _Ah, Chicago. _

Simon and Avril were talking to my right, Avril pointing out skyscrapers and buildings in the not so far distance.

Bigfoot had his arms around Chloe right in front of me. He murmured something in her ear, to which she replied. "I'm fine."

It didn't sound convincing.

Tori held Tristan and Emmeline in her arms, and was walking with the leaders, who looked bright and happy, obviously trying to cheer us up. But that wasn't going to work.

The wind whipped around again, and Tori held Tristan and Emmeline tight to her chest. Her short hair flew all over the place, and she shut her eyes tight. She scrunched up her nose.

When the wind died down she sighed. Then she glanced over at me.

And I realized I had been staring at her for about five minutes.

She gave me a suspicious look, and Tristan, who was balanced on her left hip, wobbly turned his head around to glance at me, too.

I smiled a little. That kid was cute.

Then my gaze traveled back up to Tori. My smile quickly disappeared and I looked straight forward again, pretending to study the tall skyscraper we were about to pass.

_Whatever._ I thought. Why did it matter to me if she didn't like me? Hell. I didn't like her. I shook my head

We definitely needed to get away from these people fast, and get on our own feet again. I didn't like depending on these people, especially if they didn't want us here, anyway. And by the look Tori just gave me, they didn't want us with them at all.

I glanced at Avril and Simon, and made up my mind.

We were definitely going to leave tonight.

After aimlessly walking around, peeking in stores and commenting endlessly on how loud the city could be, everyone agreed to go out to eat.

After a while of debating (without me, of course,) they decided on Rain Forrest Café.

Although I was kinda in the mood for pizza, it didn't bother me at all. When they'd mentioned the name of the place, Avril had glanced back at me for the first time in the walk and given me a knowing look.

Rain Forrest Café was the first place Mom had ever taken us out to eat.

I remembered how the place had enchanted me, and how we had eaten right next to the animatronics gorilla which had yelped and beat it's chest about every ten minutes. I remembered the giant mushroom which sat in the corner, and how the whole place had vines and leaves on the wall; how fake trees were planted everywhere, and how a rushing waterfall met you at the door.

I must have been thinking for a long while, because when I looked again, we were crossing the street and the restaurant was a couple buildings down from the tower across from us.

Everyone crossed quickly, dodging the taxi's and cars darting down the street.

Tori went second to last (counting me), but took her time crossing the street. Which wasn't very smart of her.

Because in Chicago, you move it or loose it.

A taxi sped up coming for her. And it was obvious it wasn't going to swerve.

Tori jumped a foot back just as the taxi tore through the spot she was just it. It slowed down, but didn't stop. It slid and knocked into Tori's knees with a force that sent her and Tristan and Emmeline to the ground.

I ran to her and grabbed Emmeline, who was inches away from the pavement. Tori held on tight to Trsitan, her hair muffled. She was panting.

"Are you okay?" I breathed.

Tori, still panting, nodded.

_What the hell?_ I thought, pissed. I got up from the ground, and turned toward the taxi.

"What the _fugg!"_ I barked at him, covering Tristan's ears lightly with my hand. "She had her kid's with her, you jackass!"

"She wasn't moving!" The guy in the taxi barked. His pudgy face was red. There was something else red in the car, too. Behind him. It looked like hair…

_No. it couldn't be her. _I shook my head.

"Go to hell!" I gave him the finger, and then turned to Tori on the ground. I offered her my free hand. She took it, and struggled to get up.

Once she was up, she flashed the driver a dirty look. Then, she spit on the car.

I grabbed Tori's hand, and we quickly crossed the street. But not before Tori gave him the finger, too.

"You okay?" Simon rushed up to her, and took Emmeline from her arms. Everyone stared at her anxiously.

Slowly, she pried her fingers, one by one from my hand.

"Yeah." She nodded, inhaling.

"Im fine."

I glanced back at the cab.

**Chloe's POV. **

After the little taxi incident, we entered the restaurant.

I had to say, it was pretty amazing.

We chose to sit upstairs, near a beautiful waterfall and pond. Then scenery, no matter how fake, was pretty awesome.

But I couldn't exactly focus on the food, the conversation, or the scenery. Because of my splitting headache, back ache, and the fact that my stomach was churning again.

"It's nice." Avril spoke up for the first time since we'd entered the restaurant. "To relax a little bit. We haven't done something like this since we were little." She glanced across the table at Bryce, who wasn't paying attention.

My throat began to burn.

When Bryce didn't answer, Simon cleared his throat. "Have you guys eaten here before?" he asked Avril.

My stomach churned.

"Oh yeah." She answered. "Like, when we were, what, five?" She smiled.

And then I got that overwhelming sick feeling.

I bolted from my seat, and jogged from our table. I glanced around, frantic to find the bathroom. Then I spotted it. _Ladies._

I ran into it, found and open stall, and then threw up again.

_Bad food,_ I tried to convince myself.

On my way out, I looked in the mirror, and studied myself.

My hair was a mess from the wind. I hard large, dark circles under my eyes. I was pale.

I looked like crap.

I sighed. _I'm not pregnant. I'm just tierd and sick. That's all. _

I turned and pulled open the door to find Derek standing in front of me.

I shook my head and stepped back, surprised.

He looked down on me, his brows arched, his expression beyond worried.

"Chloe," He said in a tell-me-the-truth tone. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.

I nodded, and stepped out of the bathroom, letting the door close behind me.

"I'm fine. I don't think my burger was cooked all the way through, though." I lied, and scrunched up my nose.

"Chloe," Her groaned.

"Derek, _I'm fine."_ I lied again, as convincingly as I could.

He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair, and nodded. But I could tell he didn't believe me. He only wanted too.

"Okay," He muttered.

I nodded, and we walked back to the table. But before we reached it, I swore I saw a flash of red hair directly behind me. But when I turned, nothing was there except for the waterfall.

When we got home, I went straight to the couch, exhausted. I buried my head in the cushions, and nodded off into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up, Tori was looming over me. I jumped.

"Hey," She whispered. I looked around, confused.

She nudged me with a little white box. I focused in on what it said.

_Home Pregnancy Test. _

I looked up to her, alarmed.

"Just use it." She urged me, her face pleading. "I picked it up from one of the stores. No one saw me." She shrugged.

I pursed my lips, considering, and looked down at the box again.

If I took it, and it was negative, then I would know for sure I was sick. I wouldn't have to worry, and I could tell Derek not to worry, and everything would be okay.

But….what if it _was _positive?

I gulped, and then after another look from Tori, and deciding it would be better to know now then later, I took the box from her hands.

"Good luck," She whispered as I walked off toward the bathroom.

I turned back to look at her, and tucked the box up my shirt discreetly.

Yeah. I would need luck.

**Very sorry about this chapter. I had to write it quick, quick, quick. Sorry for the crappy beginning! I just had to get to this point!**

**Next chapter will be VERY BIG! EARTH SHATTERING big. SO make sure to read!**

**Reviews? Comments? Suggestions? Predictions? **

**R&R!**


	7. 7 The truth?

I'm not going to be here this weekend, so I'm writing this immediately after I updated. J

Disclaimer: I own Emmeline, Tristan, Chase, Jamie, Bryce, Nick, Avril, plot, and some other peoples, to. Youll seee!

**My knees were shaking by the time I closed the bathroom door behind me. **

**I set the box down on the counter, and took three deep, big breaths. **

**This was it. **

**I walked in front of the counter, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. **

_**I could be pregnant. **_**I realized. **_**I actually, truly could be pregnant. **_**What if I was? **

**But at the same time, what if I wasn't?**

**A certain amount of hope had burrowed deep in my heart, actually **_**hopping **_**I was. If I wasn't, what would I do? I knew I'd be crushed. **

**But I'd be as equally crushed if I was. I was heading into war. How could I do that to my child? **

**I let a breath out. **

_**Just do it, **_**I urged myself. I glared at the pink and white box for another minute.**

**Then, heart racing, I ever so slowly opened it. **

**I paced the bathroom, waiting for a reply from the stupid little white stick which was now sitting on the edge of the sink. I glanced back at it. **

**It was still blank.**

_**I can't believe this, **_**I thought. **

**When, in a million years, would I ever picture this scene? Never, ever, ever for myself. Not even for one of my movies. **

**I glanced back at it. **

**Blank. **

**I groaned. This was agonizing. **

_**What if Derek's waiting right outside me door?**_** I thought randomly. **

**I paused and turned toward the door. It was dead silent. **

_**I'm just being paranoid. **_

_**But what if he finds out? **_

**I stopped myself again. **

**I don't even **_**know **_**if I'm pregnant!**

**I thought I heard a breathing from the shower. **

**I whirled around, and ripped the shower curtain open. **

**No one was there. **

**I took another deep breath. What was **_**wrong**_** with me? **

**I turned back around, shaking my head, and glanced at the test. **

**My heart stopped and my breath caught. There was a response. **

**I darted to the sink faster than I knew any human could move, and with shaky hands, picked up the test to eye level. **

**My mouth hung open. **

"_**No,"**_** I breathed. I shook the thing hard, blinked several times, and then brought it to my eyes again. **

**The result was still the same. **

**I shook my head, and my hands flew to my mouth. I dropped the test in the sink, and it made a clattering noise. I began to tremble, and tried to process the pink negative sign I had just seen. **

**I….**

**I was….**

**I wasn't pregnant.**

"**Oh my God," I whispered, and my eyes began to water. **

**I wasn't pregnant. **

**Quickly, I picked up the stick again, and with all my might, shook it. **

**It couldn't be negative. How could it be negative? **

**If it was negative, then what **_**was**_** wrong with me?**

**After about three more minutes of shaking, with another deep breath, I brought it back up to my eye level, and my breath caught. **

**It was still negative. **

**My breathing came out more like panting. What the hell was wrong with this thing? **

**I shook it again, but the symbol didn't change. **

**I let out a sigh of disappointment and well as relief. **

**But my eyes started to blur over. I realized I was crying as soon as the first tear hit my cheek. **

**I threw the stupid thing in my hands against the wall. Then, I sank down against the bathtub, buried my head in my hands, and softly cried. **

**It made no sense, at all. **

**I had symptoms. There was a chance. How could I **_**not **_**be? Oh yes, I was a little happy that I wouldn't be killing someone else, but how could I not feel low? How can you look at that depressing little negative sign and no feel a pang of disappointment, even if you were hopping for it? I couldn't understand it. At all. **

**After two more minutes of silently sobbing, someone lightly knocked on the door. **

**My head immediately popped up. **

**Then, the door creaked open. Tori's anxious face popped into the bathroom. When she saw my face, though, the look turned grim. **

"**Positive?" She guessed, her voice low and solemn. **

**I slowly shook my head and sniffled. **

"**Negative." I said, and sniffed again. **

**She blinked several times, and looked pretty surprised. Then, almost numbly, she came over next to me, slumped down on the ground, and threw her arms around me. **

"**I'm…sorry." She said softly. She squeezed me tightly, and out came the tears again, **

**Rolling down my cheek, brimming my eyes, seemingly endless. **

**It just didn't make sense. If I wasn't pregnant, then what was that dream about? Was I just plain sick? All that worry and hope for a nothing but a seasonal cold? It wasn't fair, or right. **

**After another five minutes my tears were all dried up. My eyelids were so heavy, I could barely fight it. Although the depression on the inside was still there, I couldn't cry anymore. I just wanted to sleep. **

**Without a word, Tori and I got up, and silently, we trudged back into the living room. I plopped down on the couch blankly. So many emotions ran through my head right now, it was impossible to express one outwardly. **

**Anger. Confusion. Relief. Sadness. Sleepiness. Confusion. Then, Sleepiness again. **

**I lay on the couch, and brought me feet back up to my chest again.**

**Tori flipped the light switch off. **

"**Chloe?" She whispered form the darkness. I was too lazy to find out where she was calling from. **

**She waited for a response, but I didn't answer. I didn't have words. **

"**It's better this way." She sighed lightly. **

**My head was too stuffy to even process her words. **

**I closed my eyes and let out a low, barely audible sigh. **

**That was the last night for about a year I was actually able to sleep. **

**I was blessed with a deep, dark, dreamless sleep. No interruptions, no worry, and no depression leaked through into my blissful unconsciousness. **

**But it was there, waiting for me when I woke up. **

**I **_**knew **_**it was better I wasn't pregnant. I **_**knew**_** I was supposed to be happy. **

**But I also **_**knew**_** I was pregnant. **

**It's like knowing your going to pass the sixth grade. You just **_**are.**_

**But then your bitchy teacher gives you your last report card, and oopsy, guess who flunked science? Guess who's going to be coming back to sixth grade next year?**

**You are. Tough luck. **

**I sighed, getting sidetracked. I got up lazily from the couch, and made my way to the bathroom where all the madness had started last night. **

**I locked the door behind me, like I had earlier, and plopped down on the closed toilet, my head in my hands. I needed a moment to collect myself before I went out there and put on my brave face for Aunt Lauren and Simon and Derek…**

"_**Chloe."**_** A rough whisper filled the air around me. **

**My head snapped up.**

**No one was there. **

**My brows furrowed in confusion. Then, I slowly, I crept to the shower, and tore the curtain open. **

**No one was in there, either. **

"_**Chloe!" **_

**I swirled back around, heart racing. That sounded just like….**

**But no one was there. **

**Then, a person appeared in front of me. Only a flash, but I instantly knew who it was. **

**Someone I hadn't seen in **_**years.**_

**Liz. **

"**L-Liz?' I called out into the empty bathroom. **

**And then there was that flash again. **

"**Chloe! I've been trying to-" She cried, but then she was gone again. **

**My hand flew to my heart, which was beating wildly. Was this Liz, or something the Edison Group had sent to me to screw with my head. **

**As that thought whirled around in my head, I backed up again the sink. **

**Liz popped up again. **

"**-I wanted to reach you!" she said, running up right in front of me. **

**Shakily, I eyed her, head to toe. If she was an illusion, they did a pretty good job of getting every feature right. **

**She didn't blink away yet, though. She stared at me for a second, waiting to disappear, I assumed, but she didn't. **

**So she continued. "The Edison Group," She spoke fast. "They gave you pills, so you couldn't see me, and I've-" **

"_**Pills?"**_** I asked, my eyes widening. **

**Liz nodded, quickly. "When they took you and had you all strapped up, they injected you with the stuff they gave you in Lyle House, and I was trying to get to you, but-" **

"**Y-y-you were **_**there?" **_**I asked. **

**She nodded again. **

**And then she faded out again. **

"**Liz!" I called out. **

**She appeared again a second later. **

"**Other ghosts have been trying to get to you, too. To warn you guys. Mainly me. But those damn pills." She gritted her teeth. "Those things are hard to get through." **

**Worry clouded me again. I eyed Liz. I hadn't seen her in **_**so**_** long. It was comforting to know she was with me for a while. **

"**Where have you been?" I thought aloud.**

**Liz smiled a tiny smile. **

"**I can't really say. I'd be against the rules. But I had to tell you, Chloe, they're coming quicker than you thought. **_**A lot**_** quick-" **

**And she disappeared. **

"**Liz?" I called out frantically. **

**But she didn't come back. **

**I kicked the sink, hard. Then I whirled around again, looking to see if she had returned. She hadn't. I hoped she would later. **

**But I waited for five more minutes, calling her name, but she didn't pop back up. I still had a few questions for her. Did she know if Chase was alive? Had she seen my dad since she'd disappeared? Did she know if the Edison Group **_**really **_**had captives? Had they really taken Nate?**

**And then, of course, was the new question that had formed in my mind. **

**Would they pills have given me a false negative sign? **

**Keeping all these questions locked deep inside my mind and forcing a normal expression on my face.**

**For now, I'd have to keep all this to myself. **

**Now, I'd have to pretend I was okay. **

**I told them about Liz. **

**They'd all reacted the same; **

"**Were not ready." **

**And so we'd gone over more plans, more preparations, and more worries. And through all of that, Derek kept peeking over at me, almost every five minutes, scanning me to see if I was okay. **

**I fake smiled every time. As did I when Tori glanced at me, sympathy in her face. I think she could tell I was faking. **

**The time passed fairly quickly. Probably because my mind wasn't on conversation. It probably should have been; this was extremely important. **

**But it wasn't. It was echoing back to me my one and only worry at the moment. **

**What if the test was wrong?**

**Around five p.m., after doing nothing and watching the guys train (Adele eyed me, then said I didn't look too well and should stay out for today,), Derek came up to me as I was eating in the kitchen. **

"**Chloe." He said. My head bobbed up. **

**Derek kept his head down, as if not wanting to confront me. I could only see the crown of his head. "Can I, uh, talk to you?" He asked. **

_**Oh God. He found the test.**_** I immediately thought.**

**I put the apple in my hand down on the counter. **

_**You don't know that. Just act normal. **_

"**Sure." I tried to say in a cheery voice, but Derek looked up with a knowing look on his face. I swallowed. **

**Then he turned, and lead me into Tori's room. **

**When we arrived, Derek let me walk in and sit on the bed as he locked the door. Not a good sign. **

**My palms were suddenly sweaty, and my heart was racing again. **

"**Chloe?" He asked, his voice quivering. I pursed my lips. **

**He turned to me from the door. His green eyes were pleading. **

"**Are you pregnant?" **

**A long pause. **

"**No," I whispered, then swallowed again. "The test said no." **

**His brows scrunched at the word 'no'. **

"**Then why do I hear heartbeats?" He cocked his head to the side. **

**My breath caught. **_**What did he just say?**_

"_**What?" **_**I gasped, my hand automatically flying to my stomach. **

**He nodded slowly, then walked over to me. He softly sat down next to me, and then, hesitantly, he pressed his warm hand to my stomach. **

**And then there was a thump from inside me. **

**I jumped at first, unsure of what just happened. Then I realized what this meant. **

"**Your pregnant," Derek whispered. His eyes lit up as he looked up to me. And even though this was **_**not**_** supposed to be a good thing, I could've sworn, if only for the briefest moment, he smiled. **

**But then he paused. He stiffened, as if listening for something. He inhaled. **

"**What's wrong?" I asked. **

**His face suddenly was overcome with recognition. His eyes widened, and he became abruptly serious. **

**He suddenly swooped me up in his arms. "I smell werewolves." He said grimly. **

**He opened the door quickly, almost tearing it off it's hinges. **

"**Werewolves!" He barked. Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing, and ran. Tori grabbed Emmeline and Tristan, and then followed the others. **

**Derek ran with me in his arms, and darted to the front door. The others were already outside. **

**As he kicked it aside, wide enough for us to get through, there was a **_**boom**_** from in the house. **

**And as we jumped onto the grass, the right side of the house went up in smoke. **

"**Oh my God." Tori whispered, holding her babies near to her chest. Derek turned in a circle, looking for someone or something.**

**Had the werewolves set it off?**

**Everyone was panting on the grass, grateful we weren't in ashes right now. **

**The left side blew up then. **

**Derek spun me around one more time, to look across the street. **

**And there they were. The men from my dream. **

**If it was possible, my heart rate increased. **

**A red headed, wide blue-eyed girl skipped across the street like nothing was wrong. I recognized her from my dream, also. **

**And from the flash of red at Rain Forest Café. **

"**Jamie?" Bryce coughed out from near Tori. She pursed her lips and turned toward him. **

**Bryce was wide eyed, and looked head over-heels for this girl. But the feeling apparently wasn't mutual, because she ignored him and turned back to Derek. Bryce looked confused. **

"**We haven't done anything to you," Adele said from somewhere behind me. "Why are you here?" She asked the girl-Jamie. **

**Jamie cleared her throat. "Alpha died." She said, her voice casual. Her voice was almost sing-songy. **

"**So?" Kit coughed. **

"**You guys need a new Alpha." Bryce figured. He looked pissed. **

"**Well, sorry. But you guys just tried to blow me and my friends up. They've treated me like shit all my life, and now you want me to be leader?" He gestured to the men still staring from across the street, and scoffed. **

**But Jamie was still staring at Derek. **

"**Not you," She briefly turned to Bryce. A look passed between them, but she snapped it short, turning back to us. I furrowed my brows. **

**She pointed an accusing finger at Derek. **

"**Him."**

**Predictions? Reactions? Suggestions? **

**Sorry about this chapter., IM leaving tomorrow and wrote it really fast. **

**Anywho, **

**R&R!**


	8. 8 Day Dream Believer

**Your guys' reviews make my day. *smiley face***

**Disclaimer: I own Emmeline, Bryce, Chase, Nick, Jamie, Tristan, Avril, Adele, Chloe & Derek's children (unnamed, at the moment!) and plot. Everything else belongs to the genius that is Kelly Armstrong.**

**Bryce's POV. **

Silence.

"Wait…._what?"_ I sputtered. I was rightfully Alpha. Dad was Alpha. He had no other sons.

_I _was next in line, like it or not. But it definetly wasn't Bigfoot. How could it be Bigfoot?

And I refused to believe the beautiful red haired, blue eyed girl in front of me was actually Jamie. Because this is _not_ the girl I've been in love with for two years. It couldn't be.

Derek squints hard at Jamie, and purses his lips. I can see the muscles in his arms tighten around Chloe, protectively.

"_What?"_ He asked. Chloe looked overwhelmed.

Jamie sighed dramatically.

Disgust welled up in my gut.

"Your dad was Alpha." She said.

I almost answered, "Uh, duh," But then I realized she was talking to Bigfoot again.

What the hell?

"_My _dad was Alpha, Jamie." I said cautiously. She didn't even turn to acknowledge me this time. Kit coughed from behind me, and slowly stood.

Wiping soot from his cheek, he limped toward Jamie.

"Derek's dad was taken away." He said, obviously confused, and annoyed. The house behind us was smoking.

Jamie turned back around to him, a harsh look in her eyes, "Not before he was Alpha." She spat at Kit. Adele let out a harsh breath.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She barked. Jamie ignored her and turned back to Derek.

"And not before he knocked my mom up."

No.

What?

This was making no sense.

I shakily got up from the ground, and realized my leg was throbbing, and my ankle was twisted, but frankly, I didn't give a damn.

If Jamie was going to talk like she was on crack, and not even have the decency to look at me while she was talking about _my_ Alpha position (even if I didn't want it), then I'd make her look at me.

I took one big stride, and then grabbed her by the shoulders. I spun her toward me.

"What are you talking about?" I searched her eyes for some point of recognition. But she _still _didn't look at me, letting her hair fall over her face.

Someone grabbed _my _shoulders, and flung me down on the ground. I heard a defining _crack_ as my spine crashed against the pavement.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and waited for the pain. But it didn't come.

The sound of an ambulance-or a fire truck, I couldn't tell,- rang out through the street.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY MY… HUSBAND…" Adele screamed over the noise.

"BACK OFF. SHE'S RIGHT. NICK WAS ALPHA BEFORE DANIEL. HE WAS OLDER." An unfamiliar male voice screamed.

I cringed at the sound of my father's name being said by a total stranger who sounded not much older than me.

I took in a deep breath in as the ambulance, Yes, I could now see the white and red ambulance that one of the neighbors had probably called, rolled up next to the curb. As I exhaled I caught a scent, and held my breath.

And there it was, that familiar musky, woodsy smell. This guy must've been a wolf, though I didn't recognize him from the original pack.

"Are you saying…you're my…." Derek said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Sister." Jamie said.

I looked up to Derek quickly, stealing glances between Jamie and Bigfoot. They looked absolutely _nothing_ alike. How could they be related?

Jamie _had_ to be lying.

A bloom of shock and worry began to spread in my gut.

"And your next in line." The guy said. The ambulance siren had died out, and some EMT's piled out of the car.

"I decline." Derek said quickly. Chloe shot him a weary look, and he slowly let her stand. She hung onto him like her life depended on it.

"You can't back down. It's your birthright." Avril whispered from somewhere behind me.

"She's right." Jamie whispered, and then coughed to cover up her words as the EMT's rushed over to us.

The EMTs checked us all over, and although we were fine, they pulled us into the ambulance to take us to the local hospital, "just in case".

Jamie sat up front next to the driver, obviously trying to keep a distance from me. But that was fine. She wasn't my Jamie. I didn't know what was wrong with her, but she definitely wasn't the girl I'd been dreading leaving. She wasn't.

The EMT's asked us about the "explosion," and Chloe's Aunt had

I hadn't noticed that the other werewolf guy had taken off until we reached the hospital, and walked into the emergency room.

Tori was clutching Emmeline and Tristan to her chest, a little soot smudged on her cheek. Her hair was in disarray, strands flying everywhere. Her eyes were straightforward, almost as if she was angry.

Maybe she was.

Simon trailed behind her, looking deep in thought. His hands were shoved in his jean pockets. His hair was also messed up. He kinda looked like he got electrocuted.

Adele silently trailed next to Simon. She looked…empty. Her eyes were blank, and her face expressionless. It was probably because of the whole Nick thing….

I almost stopped dead in my tracks.

"_Not before he knocked my mom up."_

I looked over to Jamie, who was just a bobbing head of red hair ahead of us. I looked over to Derek next, who was trudging along on my right, and looked like he was calculating something complicated. Chloe had her arms crossed over her stomach, and worried.

"_NICK WAS ALPHA BEFORE DANIEL. HE WAS OLDER." _

"_HE WAS OLDER." _

Why would it matter if Nick was older than my dad?

Unless…

Unless Nick was my Dad's brother.

My Dad's _older_ brother.

Which would mean….

This time, I _did_ stop dead in my tracks, and Avril who was trailing behind Kit and Lauren (who were behind Chloe and Derek) stopped, too.

I ran my hand through my hair.

_So _that's _why my room smelt of the pack._

The others didn't even notice.

Avril shot me a confused look from across the hall. I pursed my lips, about to whisper something. Then Derek turned around and shot a glare directly at me.

I held his gaze for a few seconds, and then he turned away and kept on walking.

I sent a weird look to his back. _I can just feel the love, Cuz. _

I turned to Avril then.

But she was gone.

Then a rusty, salty scent filled the air. I scrunched up my nose.

The back of my throat ached.

I shook my head, ignoring the strange scent. Where had Avril gone?

I craned my neck to see down the hall. She wasn't there.

Then, I heard the tiniest whimper, coming from one of the many door in the hall.

The door was ajar.

I turned back to check the group. They just kept receding down the hall; not one of them had noticed our absence.

And so, I ran to the open door.

The room itself reeked of the salty scent I had smelt earlier, and my throat ached again. This time, it felt more like a burn.

It was a standard white hospital room, nothing out of the ordinary.

But then, in the corner, I spotted a limp body, lifelessly sitting on the floor.

_Avril?_

"Avril?" I asked cautiously, afraid to go check out the body. Afraid it _was_ Avril.

"B-Bryce?"

I heard Avril's scared murmur from behind me.

I whirled around to find her trembling, her bottom lip quavering as if about to cry. Clumpy red jelly was splattered on face, covering her mouth and a section

The salt smell was overwhelming now. My nose burned, and my throat was on fire.

I stepped back quickly, and Avril grabbed the edge of the door to keep herself steady. Breathing hard, I looked back to the limp body in the corner.

The same Jelly was pouring from the older boy's neck.

I turned back to Avril. It obviously wasn't Jelly.

"Bryce." Her voice cracked, and her face started to crumple.

I heard her let out a sob, and sympathy welled up in me.

I heard her gasp, trying to pull some air into her lungs. Then in a raspy voice, she whispered, "I couldn't control it,"

Then, despite the awful smell, I slowly approached her, and then wrapped her in my arms. She sobbed into my shoulder for another minute, but no tears came out.

Could we cry?

My throat burned stronger when she pulled away, and I couldn't keep my eyes off the…blood…on her face.

My fingers twitched, and I resisted the urge to touch her cheek, to wipe some of the red liquid off and just take one little taste, only to quench the thirst….

I took a step back again. _No._

Avril wiped her face on her sleeves, soaking them in blood. I turned at stared at the limp body, my nose still burning.

"What are we going to do with…?" She asked, her voice still shaky. I bit my lip.

"Avril?" Simon called.

I whirled back around, and rushed to the door frame. I leaned out into the hall. Sure enough, Simon was standing there, Tori with the babies standing only a few feet behind him. Everyone else was god-knows-where.

I turned back to Avril, and after shooting an unsure look at the corpse, sighed. "We leave him there."

Avril looked at me like I'd just grown another head. "What?"

"They won't know it was you. They have no evidence. It was just a….brutal murder. We have to time." I grabbed her arm, and started to cart her out into the hallway. She wiped her mouth and cheeks again, and there was no evidence at all from what had just happen whatsoever.

Well, except, of course, the God awful smell and the guilt that was evident on Avril's face.

**Chloe's POV. **

After the rather quick check-up, (the whole time I was shaking, scared the doctor would somehow know I was pregnant and would announce it out loud) Kit and Aunt Lauren decided to rent out a hotel room. After all, our house was sorta damaged.

Mixed feelings raged through me. Confusion. Fear. Anger, or some sort. Happiness. Nervousness.

I was pregnant.

But Derek was Alpha of the pack. And this Jamie girl…she was his _sister._

Like we needed more realities.

Saying Derek was on edge would be the understatement of the year.

In the car, he kept his arms around me, whipping his head around every five second to look back and Avril or Bryce.

When we pulled into the motel parking lot, Aunt Lauren and Kit got out to go get rooms, while everyone else stayed in. I suddenly felt a pang of remorse for Adele, who ever since the revelation Nick had had other kids, had been way out of it. She seemed lifeless.

I wondered how I would feel if I found that out about Derek. I cringed, just imagining that.

Everyone was silent in the car. Then, slowly, The left car door opened. Jamie stumbled out, and then, before slamming the door, shot Derek a knowing look. After she slammed it, I turned to look up at Derek. He looked grim.

"What…?' I whispered.

He looked down at me and swallowed. "I'll be right back." He whispered, and then kissed the top of my head. He slowly untangled his arms from mine, and opened the door. He gave me a sad look when he was outside before he shut the door.

My gut did a nasty little nervous flip.

I stared intently down at the ring on my finger, trying to distract myself from the fact I was alone in the car with Adele, Tori and Simon, and they didn't know about my pregnancy.

But the ring didn't bring anything up but more problems and worries. Would Derek and I even be able to marry?

I looked outside, and craned my neck, looking for him. I sighed.

What did being alpha mean? How would it complicate things? Would we have to move in with the pack?

I switched gazes to my stomach. Would it even be safe for me to be _near_ a pack, pregnant?

I then realized I was possibly carrying future Alphas.

I closed my eyes. Simon let out a sigh from the back of the car, and Avril said something about going to check on Kit.

But I didn't pay attention. I closed my eyes, and pretended that everything was okay. That everything would _be_ okay.

Before Derek told me about being Alpha about an hour later.

I pretended everything was okay while I still _could. _

Derek and I were silent for a while.

I sat on the bed in our separate room, playing with my fingers, sliding the ring on my finger up and down, up and down, Up-Did we have to move? Down- When were the Edison Group going to make their next movie? Up-What had Jamie told Derek? Down- Was Jamie working for the EG?

Derek rummaged through the dresser. I knew he wasn't really looking for anything-he was just trying to make the silence less awkward.

I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He just kept opening drawer after drawer, running his hand through his hair over and over, until I couldn't take it anymore.

"What'd she say?" I blurted out.

Derek stiffened, slammed another drawer, and then slowly turned to me. He looked like he was dreading this moment. He slowly walked over, his white undershirt moving with his muscles, his jeans scrapping against the white carpet. In the tense silence, all my senses seemed to heighten.

He slowly sat down next to me, though he kept his eyes away. Not a good sign.

"Good first or bad?" He asked quietly.

I opened my mouth to answer, when he shook his head. "Good."

I swallowed, and then slowly nodded, agreeing with him. We'd had so much bad news lately, I needed something to brighten my mood.

If the news was actually able to do that.

"The werewolves are going to fight with us."

I blinked, and then slowly, comprehension grew on me, and a grin spread on my face. "They are?"

Derek turned to look at me and nodded. "We fight in five days."

My heart stopped.

Only five days?

"Was that the bad news?" I asked quietly.

He looked grim again. "No." He whispered. He slowly picked up his hand, which was resting on the bed sheet, and picked up mine. Then he placed our hands on my stomach.

He stared into my eyes for a few minutes, and I tried to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for what he was about to say.

He cleared his throat.

"I have to leave."

I blinked a few times. Huh?

Then, as slow as ever, numbness took over.

"Leave?" I asked, narrowing my eyes and pursing my lips. "How long?" I asked.

His nostrils flared for a second.

"A year." He whispered.

The numbness was gone.

I felt frozen. There was nothing in me. My joints locked up, and I found no point in moving.

A year? Without Derek? Being Pregnant?

I couldn't speak.

"I-In order for the pack to help us," He said, his voice raspy. He took his other hand and caressed my face. "I, Alpha, have to at minimum be there for a year. It was going to be five, but I managed to lower that, thank God." He talked low, like he didn't want to believe it either.

I couldn't really process what he said. Derek was leaving.

For a year.

"I-" My voice cracked as I tried to speak again. I took a quavering breath. "I'm coming with you."

He looked at me with those green eyes I had known so well. Those green eyes I had met a Lyle house. Those green eyes that had carried me over fences and through yards when the Edison Group had first been after us.

Those green eyes that had been worried about _me_ when _he_ was the one changing. Those green eyes that had saved me from werewolves, and had hummed me to sleep when we were stow-always' in the back of that truck. And now, those same green eyes that had proposed, that had found me crying when Simon left me in the forest, well those green eyes were leaving me.

And I wouldn't be able to handle it.

Derek shook his head quickly. "Chloe, there's no way in _hell_ I'm going to let you go to the pack. They could kill you." His voice broke on the word "kill."

"But you can't leave. You can't, I can't do this alone, Derek." I was tearing up now.

He ripped his hands from mine and grabbed me by the elbows. He dragged me closer to him. "I'm so sorry, Chloe." Was all he said.

And I cried.

Because there was no way to rewind this. We couldn't stop it, and I knew it. And it was killing me.

So I just laid there, all night, in his arms, weeping. For me. For him. For our children.

I didn't know what time it was when I fell asleep. But I gladly accepted the dark, dreamless abyss. I needed to get away.

But my sleep wasn't totally blackness and nothing else.

Brokenly and faintly, I could hear Derek humming "Day Dream Believer", his voice mimicking the exact hopelessness I felt.

**I almost cried writing this chapter. Damn, im depressed!**

**Alright guys, this was hard to write. Not the Derek and Chloe part, but all of it. I literally have no idea what im going to do next chapter. Im very busy now, with soccer and I have a report due. **

**I'm very sorry to say I have some bad news myself. **

**I'm afraid I might not be able to write the next chapter till the weekend of October first. I have a huge s.s. report due, and its seven pages long. I haven't even started yet. **

**I want to give you guys my all, and I can't do that when I have to do something else. **

**I MIGHT be able to still write….we'll see!**

**Oh, and there will most likely be less than twenty chapters in this story. I mean, we have five days till the final battle, so more than likely our story is gunna start to wrap up soon….**

**Though I have this idea about writing a story from one of Chloe's kid's POV….**

**But enough about that!**

**Now is around the time I need BABY NAMES! YAY! ****J **

**SO, Baby name suggestions? Baby predictions? How many? What Gender?**

**What about poor Derek and Chloe? Jamie? The werewolves? Avril? The vampire stuff is starting to kick in! **

**Predictions? Suggestions? Reviews? Reactions? **

**(believe me, I don't want Derek to leave either L )**

**R&R!**


	9. 9 Love and Loss 1 out of 2

**Well…hey, im back! Im so so so so so so so so so sorry id didnt post for…three months *cringe* I needed time to do stuff and get things done and all. Im extremely sorry, and I understand if you guys want to throw things at me for posting so late. **

**ANYWAY, I have to give you guys the rest of the story! So here we go! The beginning of the end!…sorta.**

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Emmeline, Tristan, Adele, Nick, Daniel, Jamie, Chase, and some of the pack.**

**Chloe's POV. **

I didn't get out of bed when I woke.

I kept my red, puffy eyes shut. Thinking. Just thinking.

About possibilities.

About Derek and I, married, our kids playing. Us laughing, in love. Happy.

It was a cheesy image, but I clung to it. Because that's what I wanted. To be happy, to be safe. To be with Derek. With our kids.

But that wasn't going to happen.

When I finally did open my eyes, I glanced at the digital clock on the beside table.

Nine oh seven.

I closed my eyes again.

That's when I realized the absence next to me in the bed.

My eyes flew open, and sure enough, Derek was gone.

I was conflicted.

Get up, face reality, and find him? Or lay in bed with that pleasant little image in my mind, pretending everything was ok?

I hesitated, then threw the covers off of me, sat up, and swung my legs off the side of the bed.

I glanced around.

The vacancy in the room hit me like a bus. I immediately knew I was completely alone.

_Derek wouldn't leave to be Alpha yet. He wouldn't. _

I heard a door creak open somewhere in the hotel room.

Like the coward I was, I swung my legs back into bed, and covered myself with the blanket so it covered me head to toe. Then I waited for whoever it was. Tori. Jamie, Derek's sister. The Edison Group. Derek.

"I know your awake."

I relaxed when I heard his voice, and I pulled the covers down.

"Hi." Derek said his voice soft. He was wearing a black sweatshirt and a pair of light, torn up jeans. He held a box of doughnuts in his hands. His hair was crazy, but his eyes were kind and soft.

"Hi." I practically whispered, then looked away from those eyes. I didn't know if I could stand not seeing them for a year.

_Then I couldn't let that happen. _

Derek slowly set the box on the drawer he had rummaged through the night before.

Then, silently, he walked around to the other side of the bed, threw the covers off on his side, and slid in next to me. The springs creaked under his weight.

Then he laid the covers gentily back over him.

I swallowed, and then once again gave up my will to be strong. To pretend I was ok.

Because we both knew I wasn't near ok.

I turned over, and quickly scrunched up into a little ball against Derek. He held me close, his arm around my waist. His other hand stroked my hair, which was matted to hell at the moment from doing nothing but lying in bed.

I scrunched up into his arms even more, until it was impossible to get any closer. I rested my head under his chin, and breathed in his scent.

Now that he would be leaving, I wanted to soak everything in. His scent, his mannerisms, the sound of his voice, the feel of his body next to mine. His warmth.

I felt his lips on the top of my head, and my eyes began to water.

I wondered where my body came up with all these tears. I had sworn they had been all used up from last night.

But no, crying wouldn't solve anything. It didn't ever. All I did was make me feel even lower, even more helpless, and even more babyish.

If that were possible.

My fiancé was leaving me, pregnant, for a year, and I couldn't do anything about it.

_Bullcrap. _

There was _something_ I could do….

But Kit and Aunt Lauren would never let me…

_What they don't know doesn't hurt them. _

I felt Derek's slow breathing, his chest rising and falling beneath me. If only I could tap into his thoughts…what he was thinking at the moment…

We laid there silent. There honestly was nothing left to be said. No words to describe how I felt, and neither to describe what he must've been feeling at the moment.

He believed he was leaving me. He believed he wouldn't see me for a year, or our children.

I made up my mind, right then and there.

_And I have to let him believe that. _

So when he laid a shaking hand on my belly, I didn't stop the seemingly endless tears.

I let them flow, and flow, and flow.

They stained Derek's sweatshirt, and my body shook in his arms. He rubbed my back gently, and strengthened his grip on me.

But his breath was shaky, as if he was about to cry, too.

At that moment I felt horrible. I was playing him.

But he couldn't know that I wasn't planning on letting him leave me.

He couldn't know as soon as he left, I'd be two steps behind him.

He couldn't know I was going with him to the pack.

So I just buried my head back into his chest.

_I'm sorry_ I thought to him.

_But I'm not letting you go. _

**I know what your thinking….**

**Wheres bryces Pov? Wheres the rest of the damn chapter? IVE BEEN WAITING THIS LONG FOR HALF OF A CHAPTER?**

**Well…..in order to be able to get the story done, im sorry, but im going to have to make some changes….**

**Im going to be posting Chloe's pov and bryces pov at different times from now on. Though its going to be labled part one and two of the same chapter. **

**Im so so so so so so so so sorry I kept you waiting so long for this…**

**I apologize deeply. **

**So…**

**Comments? Suggestions? Predicitons? Feel free to message me if you have any….**

**R&R**

**~H.**


	10. 9 Love and Loss 2 out of 2

**Part two…**

**Thank you guys.**

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Emmeline, Tristan, Adele, Nick, Daniel, Jamie, Chase, and some of the pack.**

**Bryce's POV. **

So Bigfoot was my cousin.

What a small world.

I still couldn't see him as family. I didn't like him at all.

Well, in that aspect, actually, I _could_ see him as family. I didn't like my family at all.

Except for Avril, who at the moment wouldn't get out of bed.

I sat on the edge of her bed, silent. She was sleeping, or in whatever dormant state vampires could enter.

She was depressed. It was pretty obvious.

She hadn't really said anything since she…killed…the guy at the hospital

I frowned at the word "kill." It didn't seem right. Avril wouldn't hurt anyone.

But obviously, being a bloodsucker could change a lot of things.

I looked down at my hands, bored.

There was so much to be done, so many problems, so many issues yearning to be resolved. It bugged me. I shouldn't just be sitting here.

But I didn't know how to fix anything.

We had five days until we were going after the Edison Group, to destroy them, to stop them from hurting, _killing_ people. People who had no reason to be killed.

Or mutated, changed by some chemical, their lives ruined. Being changed against their will into some freak creature who hurt others without warning or intention.

Like Avril and I.

We only had five days to learn how to totally wipe them off the radar, and here I was, sitting on my ass.

I sighed, and stood.

I ran my fingers through my hair, and scanned the hotel room.

Not finding anything particularly interesting, I turned back to look at the bed.

Avril was still asleep. She wouldn't know if I just went to find out when we were going to start training.

I made my way to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. A blast of air came swooping in the room, and blew forcefully against me.

I sucked in a breath of surprise.

_What the..?_

I strained to keep the door open and move forward. I bit my lip, and cursed under my breath.

I attempted to take a step, but my foot slipped. I quickly fixed my footing, but even with the little time my feet were pushed back a little farther back. I strained my muscles against the force.

_Damn, what was it, hurricane season? _

_Your nowhere near the ocean, stupid. _I remembered.

Tornado, then.

_Inside?_

Then out of nowhere, all at once, then winds stopped

The door creaked, but then stood still in my iron grip. Slowly, I raised my head up. I hadn't even realized I had lowered it in defense against the strong breeze.

Steadily, I straightened out my legs and stood.

Chest heaving, I turned around to look back into the hotel room to the bed.

No movement.

How could Avril still be asleep?

_She must be really upset,_ I thought.

_Best to let her be…_

I turned toward the door again, but hesitated.

What the hell had just happened?

I slowly walked to the door, waiting for another blast to hit me.

But one didn't come.

I took a step, and a step, and another step until I was halfway outside, halfway still inside the hotel room.

I peeked my head out of the room and looked down the hall.

I glanced to the right first, finding nothing out of the ordinary. No damage, nothing knocked over. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"_See? Your getting stronger." _

I raised my head up at the voice.

"_..Yeah, but not at strong as you.." _

The voices were coming from my left.

I turned and looked down the left side of the hallway, but nothing was there either.

Maybe if I traveled a little further down…

I closed the door all the way, and I started to proceed down the corridor.

Further and further I went down, the more evident and evident the voices became…

"_..You'll learn. Training is later and Kit can help you even more.." _

"_We only have five days!"_

I stopped in my tracks and looked down the hallway, my eyes traveling down the blue carpet that graced the floors.

No one.

I looked to each door.

Still nothing and no one.

_The hell…..?_

"…_.Ha!….watch this…" _

The voice was almost right in my ear.

I whirled around.

It sounded just like….

I turned around quickly when I felt a presence behind me.

And let out a squeal that I was quiet ashamed of when I came face to face with a girl.

I tripped backwards and almost fell over.

Then, once I caught my footing again, I looked up, ready to face the wrath of-

Tori,

leaned over, gripping her stomach, laughing hysterically. Her face scrunched up and red from laughing so much.

Simon, who was standing over her shoulder, was laughing too, but not nearly as hard.

Immediately as my suspicions were proven correct, as soon as I saw Tori's face red with laughter, my face turned red too.

With embarrassment.

"What the fu - hel-" I stuttered, trying to sound aggressive but coming off confused.

Tori tried to stifle a few giggles as she asked "Wha-what's a fu-hel?"

"Shut up." I huffed and I lifted myself off the ground, and brushed off imaginary dust from my shirt, desperate for a distraction.

"Someone's embarrassed." Simon sing-songed, smiling like an idiot.

Idiot.

"I thought I said shut up." I barked, and shot him a deadly look that said if he dared to open his damn mouth again, I wouldn't have an issue shutting it permanently.

Tori stopped laughing.

"Woah, woah." She turned to me, her face suddenly becoming serious. She looked focused, her dark hair tucked behind her left ear…the way her eyebrows slightly slanted down…the landscape of her face…her delicate cheeks, pink from the previous hysteria…

"Cool it, hot stuff." She said, looking me dead in the eye.

Since when was she so close to me?

For some strange reason, a little thrill ran through my body. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. But not from my anger, not from Simon.

From the strange feeling Tori was giving me.

Ah, witches and all their crappy magic.

That's what it had to be-some witch trick.

….Right?

She turned back to Simon, and I couldn't resist myself…I had to take her all in.

Grey sweatpants covering her from ankle to her bellybutton…then a simple white t shirt covered from there, up to her shoulders.

Why was I checking Tori out? I shook my head fiercely.

"See, it's not that hard. At practice tonight, were going to use that. It'll be our one - and most likely only - advantage against those humorous werewolves."

Simon nodded, his face as serious as Tori's after my threat.

I was glad the message got across.

"You coming to practice?" Tori turned back to me and asked.

I eyed her face as I murmured a "yeah."

She shook her head up and down, nodding, her eyes seemingly distracted on my face. "Good." she said, her voice and eyes distant, lost.

_Yeah, sure, she's lost in your eyes. _

I mentally kicked myself.

"Hey is Avril ok?" Simon asked, his voice breaking the eye contact between Tori and I.

I made a note to strangle that kid later.

I reluctantly looked past Tori's shoulder to Simon, his blond hair messy, his lips turned down in a worried frown.

A strange look was on his face.

Concern?

"Yeah." I repeated, this time louder so he could hear.

"Can I….uh…." Simon looked down and scratched the back of his head nervously, I guessed looking for a distraction.

"Go see your vampire lover?" Tori cut in, crossing her arms.

Simon's face got red. "Hey, hey, hey, who ever said we were lovers?" Now he crossed his arms and furrowed his brows, the action obviously trying to take away from his embarrassment.

I rolled my eyes at the whole cliché scene.

"Really?" I asked, my tone a little more annoyed than I really was.

But don't get me wrong, I was annoyed.

"What?" Simon asked, his tone with as much bite as mine was.

"Whatever. She's in our room." I pointed behind me.

Simon rolled his eyes, trying to show us how much he didn't care, but we knew as soon as he walked past me his expression would relax and his thoughts would turn back to my sister.

He started sauntering past Tori, who also rolled her eyes. As he passed me, I shouted, "Hey, if you can't find the room, I'm sure you could use some of your hocus pocus to locate it, Harry Potter!"

I smirked.

Simon stopped.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not a killer."

And he walked away.

Now, you'd think a lame come back like that wouldn't do a thing to a guy like me.

You'd think id just bounce off. Ya' know, a kinda 'I am rubber and you are glue' situation.

Well, it didn't.

It kinda hurt.

My face must've given something away to Tori, because her face scrunched up in worry and she asked "Hey, are you ok?"

I realized the smirk on my face had fallen into some kind of broken, misshapen thing.

I restored my features into a mask.

Give nothing away.

"Yeah, why I wouldn't I be?" I asked, snorting from the stupidity of the idea of me _not _being fine.

My tone was strong enough. The snort was convincing. If I were her, I'd buy it, and let the matter die.

Anyone normal would just let the matter die.

But not Tori.

She just looked into my eyes again, the strange way she had before.

My heart rate increased.

_No _was the word reeling through my mind.

_You CANNOT_ _like Tori. She's a witch. And as soon as this is over, your leaving, remember? No attachments. Don't get involved. Seen and not heard. _

I knew all this. And yet….

Yet I couldn't help myself.

I liked everything about her, without knowing everything about her.

It was….odd.

Like….even if she told me she was planning on killing me in my sleep…or if she told me she had a sixth toe on one foot…..I wouldn't stop liking her.

_Knock it off!_

"You know…." She sighed, and looked down at the floor for a moment.

"Bryce, you really need to quit that." She looked at me so honestly, so full of truth, it burned me.

"Q..quit what?" I asked, then swallowed. Why did my throat suddenly feel so dry?

"Putting on that brave face." She said, her voice low. "It's not fooling anyone, especially not me. I know your scared. And hurt." She added.

Usually, I would've just protested again.

But I couldn't. I didn't know what to say.

No, it wasn't that I didn't no what to say…it was more like I literally had nothing to say. I couldn't protest or make excuses.

She saw right into me. She knew me.

And that scared me.

She waited for a response, and after a minute or two of just staring at me, waiting, she gave up and sighed.

"Bryce…" She backed away, walking backwards, but still keeping her eyes on me. "If you ever need to talk….you…..you can come to me…..ok?" She said.

And in that instant, I felt something different.

Different from anything I'd felt in a while.

After Tori had turned around with one more meaningful glance, and walked away, I realized what that different feeling actually felt like. Why it seemed like a distant memory.

The feeling Tori had given me was the feeling of being alive.

**Chloe's POV. **

I watched the blurred trees and filed pass us by as we drove in the car, watched them blur as one big blob of green and brown and yellow, rushing past us.

We actually weren't going that fast, because the werewolves' car was surprisingly slow in front of us, leading us to the supposedly "perfect" place for our practice.

Derek, who was sitting beside me, his arms encircling me, didn't want me to come to practice.

Because of the babies.

But I had protested. No one knew of the babies. What would my excuse be? Oh, little baby Chloe is sick? Didn't feel well?

No, that would be immensely stupid. I was going to practice. Not just because I wanted to cover up my pregnancy for what little time I could, but because I needed to learn how to fight. And fight well.

Even after the big battle, the knowledge could still be useful. I might have to fight Derek if he found out I was coming with him to the pack.

Plus, Avril and Simon had already stayed back with the 'I don't feel well' excuse, as well as Aunt Lauren, who had stayed back with them to supposedly "research" (about what was unknown, we hadn't seen her much at all lately, she would stay in her room, quiet, typing away at her laptop…the last time I'd seen her was when she entered her room. Since then, Kit had been the only one to speak to her.)

Derek had given Simon some hell over staying, until Simon explained that it was Avril who didn't feel well, and that someone had to stay back with her.

Derek didn't bother Simon about it after then.

Because if it were me, he'd do the same.

"You ok?"

Derek's breath was hot in my ear and along my neck, giving me gooseflesh. I shivered.

"Yeah." I whispered back. I turned from studying the blobs outside around to Derek, who was so close to my face….I could practically dive into his green, green eyes….

He bent down and gave me a peck on the lips.

I closed my eyes after his lips left mine, and I let the wonderful sensation ripple through me, let the sweetness course under my skin.

It was all I could do not to sigh.

When I opened my eyes again, I stared back out the window, playing the game where you see how long you can focus on one object, before the car passes it totally.

But as my eyes followed and focused, my mind wandered and drifted.

No body knew I was pregnant.

Not even Tori.

Part of me felt guilty for not telling Tori.

I mean, I was the first one who knew when _she_ was pregnant. And we were practically sisters now.

She was my best friend.

Ever.

I looked down at my stomach as the van jostled us around on the bumpy road.

I had to tell her.

I had to tell _somebody. _

Tori, herself, was sitting in the back of the van, which was now custom, considering she usually had the children with her. But now, the two were back at the hotel with Simon and Avril.

I turned back to casually glance at her.

She didn't notice me; just kept absent-mindedly gazing out of the window, wringing her hands, her mind most likely on her kids.

After a second of studying her sleep-deprived features, I turned forward again, Derek squeezing me closer, tighter. I surrendered, and snuggled up into his warm arms, not just because it felt so good, so _right_, but because, in his mind, this was one of the last times I _would _be able to cuddle in his arms.

Let him think that. Even if there's no way I would let it happen.

Adele was sitting on the left side of the car seat, to which Derek and I were seated right. She was seemingly far from us, squished up by the window, head in her hands, looking gloomily out the window as Tori was.

Remaining in Derek's arms, engulfed in the warmth of his body-heat, I glanced at her as well, only to find her in the same position she'd been in since we'd piled on in the van:

All I could see of Adele was her back, covered by the same blue hoodie she'd worn when we first met, and her black hair pulled up into a pony tail.

I wondered what was running through _her_ mind at the moment, out of the many possible thoughts that could be occurring.

Maybe she was also thinking of her grandchildren, back at the hotel with Simon and the apparently ill Avril.

Maybe she was considering the danger we were in. The danger we were always in. And always would be. Because we're supernaturals. And as long as she's involved in that world, she'll always be in danger.

Just as we always will be.

I closed my eyes and snuggled deeper into Derek, enjoying the feeling of comfort he always gave me, the feeling of being so safe when we were in so much-

There was a digital bleeping noise. My eyes flashed open, and my attention headed toward Kit, from which the sound was coming.

"Oh…" Kit muttered, torn between keeping his focus on driving, and on answering his ringing cell phone. He looked from his pocket to the road ahead.

"Bryce?" Kit asked, turning to Bryce quickly, who was slugging down in the passenger seat lazily. Because _everyone_ knew he was just oh-so-cool, and cool kids don't sit in chairs properly.

I stopped myself with that insulting thought.

I was starting to sound like a bitter grandmother.

"Can you grab my phone? Its just here in my pocket-" Kit glanced toward where he was speaking.

"Uh…" Bryce muttered awkwardly, as if waking up from a nap, or from a trance.

"That…area is a little….personal, don't you think, pops?" Bryce ambled on, his tone rather uncomfortable.

"Just grab it." Kit said, trying to keep his focus on driving so he wouldn't kill us all.

Although, the road was pretty barren, and to drive dangerously here would be to drive head on into a tree.

"That's what she said…" I heard Tori mutter from the backseat.

I started to laugh, but then Derek put a finger to my lips, reminding me this was not the time or place for inappropriate jokes. I swallowed; He was right.

He turned and shot Tori a look.

"What?' I heard her ask, annoyance creeping into her previously distant tone. "_Chloe_ obviously thought it was funny…." She trailed off, her tone becoming distant once more.

"But-" Bryce protested, interceding Tori's last comment.

"Bryce, this could be life or death," Kit said, trying not to get mad at how childish Bryce was acting.

Bryce must've realized how childish he was, too, because he shut up, reached across into Kit's pocket, and pulled out the silver cell phone. Kit pulled his hand away from the wheel for a moment, Bryce laid the cell in his palm, and Kit quickly flipped it open, and answered.

"Y'ello?" He said into the cell. The car filled with dead silence, everyone within it, anxious.

Now a days, one phone call could change everything, for better, or for worse.

Kit was quiet for about a minute, and the car slowed as he listened. He hesitated, struggling for words before he finally answered the caller with a

"…wait….why-how-_what?" _He screeched, panic-stricken.

Derek stiffened.

Adele pulled away from the window to look at Kit.

Bryce sat up straight.

Tori moved forward, toward Derek and I, anxiously.

I pulled myself out of Derek's arms.

The car came to almost a crawl now, as Kit listened for another minute to a loud, familiar, anxious voice, shouting, obviously upset on the other line-

I caught my breath as I recognized it.

Simon.

Suddenly, Kit swirled the steering wheel quickly with his hands, turning it the opposite way, jerking all of us against doors. Adele came flying down on top of Derek and I, screeching as she slid.

Tori in the back cursed as she hit the window opposite of where she was sitting.

"WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SHE WAS LIKE THAT WHEN YOU- " Kit barked quickly, worriedly into the phone and he jostled us around, turning the car quickly, so that it almost slid out of control. Derek grabbed me and held me tightly, afraid of the damage that might occur to me…or the babies…

"DAD!" Derek barked, using the same tone Kit was, desperately trying to get his attention. I clung onto him for dear life.

Kit ignored everyone else in the car.

The van came to a jerky stop, lying sideways on the street. If any car came, it would pound right into the middle of the van. Right where Derek, Adele and I were seated.

Then, Kits hands moved wildly on the wheel, and he surged the car forward fast, driving us off the road, onto the green, wet grass, and closer and closet to the trees, the forest approaching quickly-

He slammed the breaks.

Heart pounding, breath shaky, still clutched to Derek, my head spun as Kit shifted the car into park.

Immediately, Derek, Tori, and Adele were on Kit.

"WHATS GOING ON-" -Derek

"ARE YOU FRIGGIN INSANE? WE COULD'VE DIED! _DIED!_ AND-" - Tori

"KIT, WHATS HAPPENING? WHO'S ON THE PHONE-" Adele.

They all spoke at once, the words loud, jumbled. I wondered how I could even make sense of what each was saying.

Kit, yet still, ignored everyone, flung the car door open, and stormed out, toward the forest, which wasn't yet three feet from us.

When he left, the car was silent for a moment as we all watched him pace, his mouth open, yelling into the phone. We could see his eyes fogging up, and soon, tears starting to form.

"_Oh my God," _Tori breathed, her voice shaking, as if on the edge of tears.

I was shaking, still from the crazy, gut wrenching whirl we had taken. What had happened? Was someone hurt? Was Simon ok?

"It was Simon," I blurted out. Adele stared at me for a second, and then Derek nodded, slowly. Bryce turned around to glance at me as he said, "It was. I heard him, too."

"_Oh!"_ Tori let out a breath.

Derek pulled away from me, and wrenched open the door, the got out, following after Kit.

Without even thinking, I did the same.

As I hopped out of the car, one little detail from what Kit had said bugged me, nagged me-

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, _SHE-" _

_SHE. _

_She. _

She.

Simon was concerned about a _she. _

There were three _she_s with him.

Emmeline. Avril. Aunt Lauren.

Derek marched toward Kit, and letting the cold air blast against my jean jacket, against my hair and my face, I did the same, running toward them both, Kit just hanging up his phone, his face stone-like: revealing nothing. Nothing but utter shock.

I could hear the footsteps of the others, padding on the ground behind me just as I reached Kit and Derek, my breath puffing, my adrenaline still runing from the car spin.

"Wha-What's-" I put my hands on my knees and bent over, my stomach churning as if I was going to throw up. My chest felt heavy.

"Kit," Derek said roughly, and shook him, but the man's face remained in awe, shocked, fear in his eyes.

Loss clouding his features.

Someone approached from behind, but I didn't look. My focus was on Kit, and trying to pull _something_ out of him, _anything, anything_ to know if Emmeline….if Avril….if Aunt Lauren was ok.

I suddenly felt a pang of grief. I hadn't even _thought_ of Aunt Lauren lately. That wasn't like me. I wasn't the kind to forget my own kin, to move on to the company of total strangers, leaving family behind-

Yet, I had.

_When I get home, I'll talk to her,_ I mentally noted as Tori rushed over to Kit's side.

"K-Kit, tell m-m-me Emmie is okay, tell me-" Tori couldn't finish the sentence, her face crumpled with fear and she started to tremble, hands shaking, clutching at her shirt, toward her heart.

Kit, slowly, looked over to Tori, his mask of shock staying put. He just stared at her.

Tori took that as a yes and burst into tears, clutching her stomach, her earsplitting, heart-rending sobs crying out loudly.

I rushed over to her side, shaking.

No. Emmeline couldn't be hurt. Couldn't be…..

I held Tori in my arms, letting her cry into me, but the weight of her body on mine was overbearing and I almost collapsed. I could see Bryce, behind Tori, just standing, helpless, looking as if he wanted to do something, but he couldn't, seemingly frozen in his place-

Tori's shoulders shook, and her tears ran down my neck as I tried to fathom the fact Emmeline was…..was….was she…dead?

I didn't react. I just didn't. I couldn't believe it. Couldn't.

Derek looked over at us, sorrow filling his eyes, and started to make his way to us, but before he could even take a step, Kit, slowly, reached out his hand to Derek, and laid it on his chest.

Derek, startled and anxious, turned to Kit, who was now looking at his son with grief in his eyes. I tried to keep the still-crying Tori up while I ogled at the two.

"No." Kit said, simply. Derek's brows furrowed.

Tori let a deep cry out, when Kit walked a few paces toward us, laid a hand on her shoulder, and repeated, in the same tone,

"No."

Tori stopped crying, lifted herself up from my grasp, and stared, confused, at Kit.

"No?" Derek asked, shaking his head slightly, trying to make sense of his babblings.

Kit looked Tori dead in the eye.

"No. Not Emmeline." Kit said slowly.

Relief washed through me, quenching the fire-like tension and dark depression I hadn't even realized had seized me, engulfed me internally. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted-and It was evident on Tori's face.

She stood, took a few steadying breaths, then, with a sniffle, asked the question we all wanted so desperately to be answered- "Then….then who? Who's hurt?"

Kit looked distant again, though sounded normal when he answered "Not hurt. D….Dead."

Derek looked at me. I looked at him back, in alarm, my chest being seized up once again by fear. There was a knot in my stomach that had been placed there since the phone call in the car, and it hadn't once faltered since.

Bryce suddenly seemed to spring to life, rushing toward Kit, obviously worried if it was Avril-

Kit's reflexes seemed to have snapped back, and he whirled toward the boy. "No." He said to him too, and Bryce seemed to relax.

So….it wasn't Emmeline….or Avril….

I don't know why it took so long for me to realize who had died.

Maybe it was because I didn't want to realize it, didn't want to believe it. I couldn't. Wouldn't.

I was pondering who it could be when Kit turned to me, tears forming in his eyes. Derek came up to me and gripped my hand. I looked up at the both of them, confused.

"It's Lauren, Chloe," Kit said.

"Lauren is dead."

**Avril's P.O.V.**

"Shhhh, shhhhh." I bounced Emmeline on my hip, trying to calm the child as well as myself.

Dead? How could she be dead? Who just….drops dead?

It didn't make sense.

"Simon!" I called as I spotted him, rushing toward him in the lobby. He turned to the sound of his name, and rushed over to me, as well.

As foolish as it was, at the moment, and inappropriate as well, just the sight of him coming towards me gave me butterflies…

"Chloe's Aunt…" I breathed, still bouncing Emmeline.

For a reason unknown to me, hairs on my neck started to raise slowly, as well as gooseflesh on my arm.

Was it just Simon, who was solemnly nodding? Or was it something else?

"We can't tell anyone," Simon said softly, caressing Emmelines cheek now that her wailing had ceased and her tears had dried.

I paused for a minute, thinking. Why couldn't we tell anyone? Weren't we supposed to call the cops, or…?

But this was beyond the police's control. Simon was right. We'd have to deal with it.

Simon eyed my face for a minute, then, shyly murmured "I have to go….check on…." he swallowed. "The body." he finally said, grimly. The seriousness of this finally dawned on me, and I nodded, gripping Emmeline tightly to me once more.

Simon looked away as he said "Stay here, in the lobby, and wait for them. It'll probably come back. No, he _will._ So stay and wait for them, ok?"

I nodded once more, and Simon sighed, then turned away.

I watched Simon walk away, then, feeling as if I was being watched, I whirled around, careful to support Emmeline so she didn't cry once again.

I thought I'd find no one watching. I thought maybe it was just my imagination.

It wasn't.

Someone _was_ watching.

Staring.

And older man, but not an _old_ man, maybe in his fifties was staring. Just standing in the middle of the lobby, staring.

It wasn't creepy, really. You'd think it would be, but to me, it wasn't. The man was too good looking to be creepy.

A little voice in my head warned _looks can be deceiving. _

It wasn't creepy, though.

It was just _odd. _

It got even odder as the man quickly walked toward me. I stayed still, curious to what he should have to say.

I know I should've ran.

But Simon said wait in the lobby.

The man came up to me, a look of deep interest on his face, when he said,

"Excuse me, did I hear you and that young man mention a girl of the name Chloe?"

_**Thank you for your patience! Love you guys!**_

**Comments? Predictions? Suggestions? Anything? Thank you for reading and reviewing! Reviews are what keeps me writing! **

**R&R**


	11. 10 Elesieus

**Ok, heres the sitch; **

**I **_**was**_** going to end this story soon. **_**Was. **_

**But then I had a major brainstorm and now there's a **_**whole**_** lot more coming…..more evil, possibly more characters, maybe even **_**another**_** story after this one….**

**So, put on your seatbelts, kids. It's gunna be a bumpy ride. **

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! Reviews are what keep me writing! Now, go forth, and read!**

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Emmeline, Tristan, Adele, Nick, Daniel, Jamie, Chase, some of the pack, and plot. **

**Chloe's P.O.V. **

I couldn't cry.

Odd as it was, you'd think, of course, I'd be able to shed at least _one_ tear for my beloved Aunt. The woman, when my mother died, who was there for me. Who had listened to concerns…who had taken me out to breakfasts and lunches and dinners….

Who also had worked for the Edison Group….

Who also had betrayed Rae and I, taking us right back to them….

_She had thought she was doing the right thing, _I reminded myself.

_She didn't know what real harm was being done. _

She knew they had killed Liz.

_But she wouldn't have allowed the same fate to fall onto you…._

I stood there. Just stood there. Derek rubbing my back. Tori, holding my hand comfortingly. Adele, the same look of defeat, of loss on her face from when she had realized Nick was dead. She didn't move, like Kit or Bryce, and just stood, taking in the situation as I was.

Derek and Tori tried comforting me. The problem with that?: There wasn't anything to comfort. I was like Kit right now. Silent. A mask of shock painted on my features. Tori and Derek's seemingly comforting words didn't even make it to my ears; they just seemed to bounce around the atmosphere, the shadow of words lingering, but no actual sentences forming, at least, none I could identify.

Kit looked as if he was going to cry now, his face slightly scrunching up, his nose twitching in a strange way.

Kit could cry over MY aunt, but I couldn't?

I slowly turned my gaze from Kit, to Derek, who was staring, concerned, down at me, his green eyes swimming with remorse for Aunt Lauren.

Even though, what seemed like ages ago, she once said he should be put down "like a rabid dog".

Still staring at Derek, I sharply shook my head.

Why was I thinking of her like this? For all the bad, and none of the good? Did I have a grudge? If I did, it wasn't one I'd intentionally chosen to have…

Derek mistook my head shake for one of sorrow; one of disbelief, and he sighed softly under his breath with grief for me, and then pulled me into him, wrapping his arms around my waist, holding me close by his warm chest.

I accepted the hug, and, numb as I was, managed to move my hands enough to lay them gently on Derek's chest, burying my face into his sweatshirt gratefully, letting his usual smell of musk and cologne sink into me, engulf me, take me away from this mess-

"Hey! What's the hold up?" A deep, curt voice barked.

I assumed it was a werewolf.

I heard Adele take a shuddering sigh, then, yell back, "Emergency."

I heard the crunching of footsteps on grass, and if possible, buried myself even deeper into Derek. I felt his arms tighten around my waist, a little uncomfortably, but the minor pain was, strangely, a relief.

"What'dya mean?" The voice was female, though the curtness didn't differ from the other voice. I recognized this voice, all though I hadn't heard it in a while.

Jamie.

"Lauren is dead." Bryce spoke up, and the reality of these words cut through me violently.

_Lauren is dead. _

Still, I didn't cry.

"Lauren?" Jamie asked, confused, though the sharpness of her tone didn't fade.

I focused my thoughts on the noises around me-a distant rustling, feet moving in the wet grass, coming nearer and nearer-

The werewolves and Jamie.

"How?" Jamie called out, less of an echo responding this time, which, combined with the _slish, slosh, _of feet moving toward us, indicated how close she was now getting.

'How'? she had asked.

How?

_How?_

I realized this question hadn't been answered.

_How did Aunt Lauren die? _

_Who killed her? _

Who?

Was it even a 'who'?

My body went slightly rigid against Derek now-uncomfortable. Uneasy.

I pulled away, wanting to hear the answer to Jamie's question, slowly turning my head and gazing onto Kit, who was still looking as if in shock.

I could see nothing else at the moment but Kit's face. Could hear nothing but the silence coming from his open mouth. I was totally transfixed on the man-How _had_ my Aunt died?

Edison Group?

Most likely.

Kit, after some time, swallowed. "Simon…." he said, his voice creaky, like he had spent forty days and nights in the desert and was absolutely parched.

A little bit of normality formed onto Kit's features again. "Simon didn't say."

Kit said, firmer than before.

Dazed, I turned back to Derek, and leaned my head against his chest. I felt dizzy, my head whirling….spinning….

Everything seemed muffled now. Words. Noises. Sights.

And then….I didn't care if I couldn't hear what Jamie was saying to us. I didn't care that I suddenly felt drowsy….if I closed my lids…..if I could just let my mind….wander…

I closed my eyes on the world. On the conversation. On Derek and Jamie and Tori and Bryce…..Adele and the werewolves….Kit…..

Aunt Lauren.

That was the first thing I saw when my eyes closed against Derek, and my whole body went numb.

Derek screamed something.

Aunt Lauren. Her perky face, smiling at me, in her lab coat…..

Blackness drowned the image out, engulfed Aunt Lauren's face, and dragged her down, down, away from me…..

"_Aunt Lauren!" _I tried to scream, but I couldn't speak, couldn't talk. Couldn't form words.

And she was gone….

….

Whispers.

That's what I heard in the blackness. Whisps and voices, light as air, all whispering something at the same time.

I wished I could understand. Wished they would all calm down.

Steadily, the whispers became harsher….louder, as if they were mad I couldn't understand.

I tried. I really tried to decipher the words. But I couldn't. Why couldn't I?

The whispers got louder…..and louder…..and louder….

So loud, my ears started to burn….

Then, a scared, almost frightened, fimallar feminine voice broke through all the whispers….whispering, herself….

"_It's starting."_

And I understood. 9

"Chloe? Chloe? Are you up?" A deep voice murmured in my ear.

Of course I was up. Why wouldn't I be up?

I tried to look at the voice that had called my name, toward where it had come from, but found nothing but blackness.

I struggled, then opened my eyes.

Oh.

"Chloe. Your awake." There was relief in Derek's voice.

Derek.

I blinked a few times to realize I was in the van again, and everyone else was, as well.

It took me a few seconds, but my senses did snap back, and I also realized the van was in motion-quick motion, actually, moving beneath my body, flying down a street speeding toward-

Suddenly my thoughts snapped back.

Kit-

Aunt Lauren-

I bolted up in my seat, not even realizing I had been slouching down.

"Where-Aunt Lauren-Kit-?" I stumbled through my words, wanting to have my questions answered as quickly as possible.

"Chloe, baby, you passed out." Derek said.

I frowned and furrowed my brows. What? Passed out? _Me?_

I took a few relaxing breaths to calm down my heart rate, which was speeding ahead quickly, one pounding heartbeat combining with the next.

I turned to my right, and stared at Derek. My head felt a little light weight, but I…I hadn't _passed out. _

"No?" I told him, staring straight at him, meaning the word to come out strong, confident, but it came out rather weak and unsure, like a question.

Derek's green eyes turned into slits as his dark hair fell over his face with a bump of the car.

"Chloe, you passed out. Out _cold._" Derek said, confused, his suspension growing on his smooth skin, around his pinkish lips.

"You did." I heard Tori's voice uncertainly drift from the back of the jerking van.

I furrowed my brows further. No, I had fallen asleep. We had talked about Aunt Lauren and then I-

…Then, I….

_I don't know. _

It was blank. Completely blank. A huge, gaping hole in my memory.

But….I didn't pass out…

_Couldn't have…_

"No." I repeated, slightly stronger, my eyes still locked on Derek. "I didn't pass out."

He cocked his head to the side slightly, shaking it at me.

I stared back at him, wondering why he was staring at me like I was insane…like he was…._studying _me.

"Chloe…." Derek said worriedly as Kit jerked the car fiercely into the hotel parking lot.

The van curved, and I (not being buckled in) jostled up with a loud scrapping noise from the tiers , and, after a second of catching some serious air, I fumbled back down onto my seat to find my neck feeling itchy, hot, like the chain of my necklace had caught fire and burnt my skin-

With a "humph!" as I hit the seat, my hand flew to my burning neck, and my cool palm slightly soothed the strange itching…

Despite the fiery rash on my neck, the chain of my necklace was cool and cold, and I wondered why _it_ didn't soothe the raging rash…

My necklace. That was a subject I hadn't confronted in a long, long time….

I never took my necklace off. Never. Slept with it on, even _showered_ with it on (whenever we _got_ the chance to shower), and never thought about it. Not lately. Not at all, really.

But…

"Here," Kit said hurriedly, pulling into a parking space quickly, and the van jeered forward then settled back, came to a stand still, and Kit parked.

Why were my thoughts on my neck? A rash, that's all it was. Why wasn't I concerned with Aunt Lauren?

Aunt Lauren. Her body…was here.

I dropped my hand from my cooling neck, and practically flung myself at the car door at the same time Kit slammed his car door, marching off, not waiting for any of us to follow, quickly to the hotel doors-

I made a lunge for the car-door's handle, but Derek blocked my path, continuing to stare at me, study me-

This _really _wasn't the time.

We heard a quick slam, and I turned to look out the window and realized Bryce was with him, jogging up to the hotel as well-

I made another move for the door, my eyes lingering on Kit and Bryce, and found myself hitting up against Derek, who had continued to strangely stare at me…

"Derek!" I yelled, outraged when he didn't move, didn't give me a window of opportunity to open the door. We were face-to-face, nose to nose, and Derek was staring me down, his back pushed up against the door, refusing to let me get out.

I glanced quickly from him to the door behind him. _What was wrong with him? My Aunt's body was in there!_

Derek was squinting now at me, his intense gaze lowering down to around my neck…

"Derek, c'mon!" Tori barked at him anxiously, as scared and harried as I to see my Aunt…to find out what the hell had happened.

What was wrong with Derek?

"Your neck…" Derek lowly growled, his fingers slowly reaching toward my surely reddened throat…

"Derek!" I yelled again, aggravated, agitated, my voice hitting an awkward high note and squeaking. I _needed _to see my Aunt Lauren….I needed to see her myself before…before I could believe it….

"I..I need to see Aunt Lauren…" I said, unintentionally, my thoughts forming on my lips and the words releasing quietly.

Derek's expression changed, like he had realized why we were parked in the hotel parking lot, or why I was so anxious, and his face lightened, and became grim, yet anxious too.

He cast one more confused, suspicious glance at my neck, and it sent an uneasy feeling throughout all of my body…did he see something I didn't? Was it more than a rash? Could it….in some way….effect….my _babies?_

Derek turned his back to me, unlocked the door, then opened it and filed out, his mind apparently regaining it's normal logic.

I pushed aside thought's of the stupid rash-that could certainly wait. Right now, all I wanted was to see Aunt Lauren.

As I got out of the car, I realized this sense of hope in me. This sense…that….maybe she was alive. Maybe Kit…or Simon…had been lying.

Deep down, I knew Aunt Lauren was dead.

But I kept this hope inside of me, and it's what drove me running to the hotel doors, quicker than Derek.

Like I said-the rash could wait. So I cast it from my mind.

But later on, late at night, I'd find one thing about the car situation haunting…plaguing me….

And that was, that the whole time Derek was blocking me, Adele was silently staring on.

I ran through the lobby, following Kit and Bryce's quick leave out of the entrance and down the wide, right hall, leading to the set of rooms, one of which would be home to my Aunt…

The thought gave me shivers, and I wondered as I jogged down a hallway-

_Was Aunt Lauren still….here? Could I _see_ her? _

My mind tossed this thought around as I rushed to find my Aunt Lauren, hoping maybe, just _maybe_ her spirit was still around - _please _let her spirit still be around-

"Chloe." A strong hand touched my arm.

I jumped.

All of the sudden, Avril was directly in front of me, Tristan and Emmeline in either of her arms-

I stopped myself a centimeter from clashing right into her.

"Chloe, there was a-" Avril began to tell me, urgently.

If I had listened to that tone she was using…if I hadn't been blinded by Aunt Lauren's death, then maybe….just _maybe_ I would've stopped.

If I would've stopped to listen, then maybe I would've been better prepared for the events that were about to unfold…._maybe. _

But bottom line: I didn't stop to listen. What I did do was simply shift over to the right, and keep on barreling through the hall to my destination, my feet not skipping a single beat.

I could see the door now; slightly cracked open….I counted the strides that took me nearer and nearer ton the door….

_One…Two….Three-_

A rough sensation of hurt burned in my face, the cold sting making me crinkle my nose and, alarmed, take a step back, rubbing my forehead.

I had run right into something.

My eyelids squeezed together tightly, watering slightly from the hurt. But it wasn't severe; Just like something a child would feel bumping heads harshly with another kid.

I opened my eyes.

Avril was once again in front of me, but she didn't flinch like I had. Instead, she still stood up straight, the worry remaining in her facial expression, Tristan and Emmeline now missing from her arms-

This time I stopped to stare at her. What was wrong with her?

"Chloe," Avril said again, sternly, like if I tried to run off again, she'd pin me to the floor to get her point across to me.

I wasn't in the mood.

"Chloe, there was a man, and he was-" Avril started to explain, her voice going serious, as well as her expression.

But my mind was focused on Aunt Lauren.

"Avril," I cut her off, my voice creaky at first (startled by her speed as well as the toughness of her skin and senses), but then, my tone growing as I attempted to match Avril's timbre of aggressiveness.

I had just found out my Aunt…and not just any Aunt….but my Aunt _Lauren…._was…

A sort of fire ignited within me, and I surged past Avril, not responding or caring when she made another grab for me and called out a desperate _"Chloe!" _

I didn't give a crap. All I wanted was Aunt Lauren. I wanted my Aunt Lauren…

Longing began to flutter in my chest, and I began running to the door, feeling fragile…almost like a little child, scared and alone, wanting her blanket for comfort.

That's what Aunt Lauren had been for me my whole life; A security blanket.

I felt naked without the blanket now. I didn't like the raw feeling dwelling in my gut.

The door was just strides away…just there, in reach now…a took one step forward, and-

The room was small.

The walls, a plain white. The flooring, a sandy colored carpet. The dull colors were broken up by the navy blue cover on the bed, and on the bed itself-

I couldn't breath.

Couldn't move.

The hope in me crashed and perished, hard, and the longing was gone. Buried with my hope…because…

Because on the bed…itself…lying, sprawled in an awkward position, almost as if her body had…spazzed out, limbs flailing before she…

…How could I know that?

I stared at Aunt Laurens body, shaken, not just by the fact I just had…_seen…_my Aunt's death…but that…but that it was true.

Her body…_was _here_…._and…she was…

I didn't realize I was trembling till Derek softly slid his hand round my own, carefully, as if he could sense how fragile I felt at the moment.

I slid my hand out of his grasp without thinking.

I just didn't want anyone to touch me. Not even Derek.

I didn't need someone trying to comfort me. I didn't want that.

Seeing my Aunt, lifeless, pale, sprawled out over the bed…it seemed to suck the life out of me. I was sick of it.

I was done. So done. So freaking done with this feeling, so done with this loss over and _over _and I was just _so _done…

Fire. It felt like _fire _was surging through me, through my veins, and I felt…

_It was all enough. _Too much.

My eyes drifted over her body. Anywhere on her body, except her face.

I couldn't bear it. To see the calmness. To see the facial expression so relaxed because…

Because there was nothing left behind it.

I couldn't take it anymore.

_I couldn't take it anymore!_

In a single bound the fire within me seemed to explode; bursting into every limb, raging

Within me, in my skin, beneath it, boiling in my blood, steaming through my insides and burning, bubbling in me, my face heated, my fists clenched, my neck _blazing, _an ache residing deep in my joints, a particular rawness around my neck, I surged to the door quickly, angrily, pushing past Derek and Simon and Kit and Bryce. I hadn't noticed anyone's presence but Derek's. I was too fixated by…

By…

I stormed down the hallway, searching for my door, I _needed_ my door, I just wanted to be alone, _please just leave me alone…_

The rage inside me was inconsolable. _Nothing _that _anyone _could say would help.

"_Chloe!"_ Derek yelled down the hall, his voice booming off of each corner, each wall, bombarding me, filling my head, echoing _Chloe! Chloe! Chloe! Chloe!_

I turned, nothing but pure rage controlling me now. I was gone. I had no control. None. And that scared me.

"I _want _to be _alone, _I don't need _anyone _bothering me right now, _especially _you!" I screamed, then, without even taking note of the hurt and confusion on his face, I turned, my mind foggy with anger, and stormed around the left corner, not even knowing if it was the right way.

My legs carried me there in a blur. My neck was burning, my whole body shaking. When I got to the door, I didn't even pull out the room key.

I simply ripped the door right open, with brute strength, not even questioning it at the moment.

All I questioned, as I silently laid down on the freshly-made bed, the only noise the creaking of the broken door, was why.

Why did Aunt Lauren have to die?

**Bryce's POV. **

Kit tenderly touched Lauren's pale, lifeless fingers. Almost playing with them.

I found it strange of him to mess with a dead body. 'Specially Lauren's.

But the look on his face was beyond grief…

It was in some odd place of clam. Some strange realm that was beyond me, that was beyond my comprehension.

I didn't know Lauren well enough to go furiously running out of the room, like Chloe, or to stand there silently gazing down at her in the indescribable way Kit was.

So I stood awkwardly in the tiny room, watching Kit stare at Lauren, and Simon and Adele quietly discuss how Simon had found the body, and Derek slowly and awkwardly come in the room, a sense of defeat following him in as he roughly took a scan of the room.

I watched him as he looked slowly, combing through the room, for anything that could've killed her, or, I guess, any sign of _who _could've killed her…

Suddenly, Derek's vision paused to something lying under the bed. A corner of something large, rectangular, and black. Derek walked up to the bed, too casually for the circumstances. Kit seemed to regain a sort of consciousness, and with one more look to Lauren's face, bent down under the bed, hands grasping for what Derek had spotted.

Kit slowly slid it out, and it took a moment for me to recognize the object. I stupidly asked, "What is _that?"_

Derek turned and shot me a death glare. I did my best to return the favor.

Kit didn't answer the question either, but rather opened up the rectangular black thing into a recognizable position, into a recognizable thing: A laptop.

_Oh. _

_God…I'm an idiot. _

I sighed and ran my finger through my hair, watching as Adele and Simon slowly gathered around Kit and Derek as they started to boot up the computer. I pushed off the corner I was leaning into, and slowly - well, slow for a bloodsucker - walked over to see what could be so interesting about a _laptop. _

What exactly where they planning on finding in there? Secret messages? Some code? A clue to who killed Lauren?

I tossed this options around in my mind. The more I went over each, the more possible they became. I bit the inside of my cheek.

The laptop, surprisingly, was on, and I saw interest flick in everyone's eyes, taking the focus away from Lauren's body.

My brows furrowed in confusion when we all realized - in unison - that not only was the laptop _on, _but it had been left on some program.

Some… private…emailing program.

I realized the '_secret messages' _possibility was way more probable than I had considered.

"Why…" Derek muttered, moving his fingers on the touch-pad controlling the white cursor on the lit screen. Kit's eyes narrowed, his brows furrowing.

Adele, who was standing over Kit's shoulder, looking on cautiously, turned and gave Lauren's body a studying gaze, before slowly turning back to the messages.

Simon looked uncomfortable as hell, switching his weight from one foot to the other, straining to pay attention to the screen. His awkward motions bugged me, and I resisted the urge to yell at him to knock it off.

Derek sat back in his seat, a baffled look taking on his features. I stared at the screen, trying to make sense of it.

There were rectangles. Long, blue rectangles, each containing the subject of an email received.

There were a lot.

_A lot a lot. _

My eyes scrolled down the short subjects of the emails.

_Project Genesis failure…_

_You can always come…_

_How have they been…_

_We never meant to…_

_Lauren we need…_

_We have…_

_Were glad to have…_

The cursor slowly passed each one, choosing the first one to open. But it didn't seem likely Derek would choose soon, he looked too overwhelmed with…with _shock. _

Everyone did.

_Project Genesis failure…_

What was Project Genesis?

Whatever it was, it had to be bad.

And it had to be even worse that Lauren was emailing about this. I could tell from the looks on their faces. This was some big shock to them, though it only puzzled me.

But I didn't break the icy silence. I just didn't know what to say, or what to question first.

So I kept my mouth shut and watched Derek scroll down into more message subjects…

_The subjects have…_

_We are planning on having…_

_We need information on…_

_If our calculations are correct the necklace…_

_No harm will fall to her…_

_She is essential…_

_You and your family will…_

_Project Elesieus…_

The cursor stopped on that last one.

"Project Elesieus?" Derek's voice was a whisper of confusion. Kit shook his head, obviously as lost on the subject as the rest of us.

"'The necklace'?" Adele questioned, her voice an odd tone…almost fake in a way. Like she might know something.

I turned to study her face. It was unsure, almost scared…scared….of what?

Derek moved the cursor up to the email with the subject containing the necklace.

The email address was strange; simply a combination of numbers and letters: 2E3D5G7PE132752. Below the address, and subject: _If our calculations are correct the necklace…_

Then the actual email:

_Lauren, _

_If our calculations are correct, the necklace will start to generate soon, and __**Her **__old feelings may start to reappear, very fiercely at first. These feelings will wear off once she learns to control them. _

_Remain on watch. _

_Maxwell_

Derek was squinting at the screen by the time I had finished reading it myself. Kit looked completely lost. Simon seemed far off in fairy-tale land.

It was basically Latin to me.

"_Her," _Adele breathed, in such a strange, fearful tone that almost begged us to look toward her.

Her expression was…_gone. _Fearful. Scared. Almost…in a sort of…_awe. _

"Adele?" Derek asked, features sharp with curiosity.

Adele looked in our direction, though her eyes weren't focused. They were almost…blank. Dead. They didn't seem to focus on _anything. _

"_Her. _They're after…necklace. For _Her."_

"Her?" I asked, aggravated by this cryptic crap. "Who's her? You? Tori? My sister

? Chloe? English, please." I didn't mean for my tone to have the bitter edge it did, but this _her _thing was eating at all of us, and if it were up to Adele it seemed as if we'd _never _get the answer.

"What's going on-"

Tori began to ask, but then stopped. Her pretty features…_pretty? _Since when did I think Tori was _pretty? _

Did I ever consciously _decide _she was _pretty? _

Looking at her now…yeah…she was pretty. Even with her face scrunched up in the way it was; sadness taking over as she looked at Lauren.

She looked horrified.

Still, she was beautiful.

She stood there, frozen. Just looking. Just staring.

And…at a time like this…was it inappropriate that _I _was just staring?

_Pull it together. This is not time for relationship issues. Hell, your not even _in _a relationship, Romeo. _

I was slowly losing my grip.

"_Her," _Lauren whispered, and everyone, even Tori turned slightly to listen.

"Elesieus." She murmured quietly.

**Chloe's POV. **

I was still lying alone silently on the bed when the door slammed.

I jumped up, nerves on end.

The door…seemed to…_click? _

Yes…that's what it was doing…clicking.

Re-attaching.

Fixing itself.

_Fixing itself? _

I clutched the covers tightly, my heart hammering.

_Calm down_, I told myself. It could be Simon. Or Tori.

What the hell was wrong with me today?

Hormones?

_Extreme _hormones?

I released the blankets. I was being ridiculous.

As soon as I stood up from the bed, the clicking in the door… stopped.

I paused.

Then, summoning my courage, I walked right up to the door… and pulled it open.

I took in a breath.

It was… a man?

A… familiar man…yet…different somehow.

He was handsome, in an older-man way. Charming, almost.

He seemed nice. Friendly.

And it was _literally impossible _to look away.

But…something about his eyes…

They had almost a poisonous feel to them. He had almost a poisonous feel to _him. _

My stomach dropped.

I backed away from the door, throwing it shut. Something here was wrong.

_Very very wrong. _

But the door just slowly and smoothly sailed…right…back…_open. _

The man was reveled again, smiling, flashing his white teeth.

"Hello, Chloe." He said, his voice seeming to purr almost, as smooth as silk.

It was enticing.

He smiled wider.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. In fact…I'm here in _your _bestinterest."

I swallowed, my fists clenched once again, tempted to scream for Derek, or Kit, or Aunt Lauren-

Aunt Lauren…

His face dimmed a little, his smile becoming more real.

"So sorry for your loss, Chloe…" He purred, his smile almost disappearing as his eyes pierced me.

I caught my breath. He knew about Aunt Lauren?

"Chloe," He said my name again, slowly, it's tone warm and soothing, almost.

Then he cocked his head.

"It's so nice to finally meet you… May I come in?"

**Comments? Predictions? Suggestions? Anything at all? R&R!**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this!**


	12. 11 History part 1 of 3

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Emmeline, Tristan, Adele, Nick, Daniel, Jamie, Chase, some of the pack, and plot. **

**Okay guys, I have no excuse. I just haven't been writing. You can read the rest if you want, if you hate me though, I understand. This chapter (chapter 11) is going to be put up in three sections. Bryce's POV, Chloes, then Bryces again. I'm doing it this way because of A) time and B) I'm really, really anxious to post something for you guys again…so..here It is…and **

**Im sorry! You guys are so amazing! Im so so sorry! I hope you don't hate me!****L**

**Bryce's POV. **

"Elesieus? Who's Elesieus?" I looked around all of them, waiting for an answer.

A strange silence had fallen since Adele had uttered the weird name.

The silence had been mixed; half confused, but…some of it seemed to generate from_… shock_?

Shock from the name…Elesieus?

What kind of a name was 'Elesieus', anyway?

Tori finished laying the white bed sheet over Lauren's body, a decision she had made by herself.

I knew later Derek or Kit or someone would yell at her for doing so. I could almost hear them now: _"You could've messed with some evidence!" _

But everyone was too puzzled to care. And she did it with respect…_out _of respect.

Something Lauren hadn't really gained.

Tori looked down at the covered body, the white cloth embracing every curve, every tiny bump of her body…and even with her arms and legs sprawled, with the white bed sheet covering her, Lauren looked…_peaceful. _

Although, it was a little eerie.

Tori solemnly walked over and took her place behind me, and I sushed the giddiness inside me as she drew nearer.

Closer….and…closer…?

I took in a breath as she stopped a couple inches away from me…. And… I didn't realize I was staring at her until she gave me a weird look.

But I didn't look away from her eyes. I don't know _why _I kept staring…there was just…something _pulling _me into her…

_What the fugg is wrong with you? You _can't _fall for her. And even if you _wanted _to, like she'd honestly give you the time of day. You are _not _here to play Romeo in some twisted romance, you're here because you have nowhere else to go. You're here because your going to help. And your going to help, because - _

…Because…

Tori strained to look over my shoulder, annoyed.

I swallowed, and turned around. I knew why I was going to help. I didn't need to think of it right now.

Instead, I turned and focused on what Tori was looking at; Derek brows furrowed, still staring on at the screen, looking as if he was attempting to solve a very difficult math problem.

Standing next to me, a little too close for comfort, Simon looked down, like he was trying hard to remember something, too.

My eyes turned from him, to Kit.

He looked shocked.

Utterly, and completely shocked. Almost stung. His mouth open slightly, his brows furrowed, but not in the confused way Derek and Simon's were; This was more of a…._How could this happen? _look.

But…how could _what _happen?

What the hell was going on?

I was obviously out of the loop. And I _didn't _like being out of the loop.

I sighed and crossed my arms. Didn't seem like this conversation was going anywhere any time soon.

"Kit." Derek said slowly, turning away from the laptop…expression still baffled…then, looking up finally, to meet Kit's blank face…

"Elesieus…I've heard the name before." He whispered, looking distant, then, suddenly focusing right back in on Kit's face.

"You." Derek said, and a wave of confusion raced through all of us; I could see it on their faces. Derek didn't budge.

Just kept staring intently at Kit.

"You said it once," Derek said slowly, his lips barely forming the words.

His eyes became less distant now, and more dagger like - pointing directly at kit intensely.

"I heard you." Derek's voice became louder, sharper; Accusing. Kit looked down, considering something.

"You said," Derek broke his eye contact with Kit to glance up at Simon, almost as if to gain confirmation of his memory, then looked back at Kit.

"You said it to someone at the Edison Group. When I was younger. The same day you took me…_home._" His face hardened at the phrase he had chosen.

Wait…they had…_brought him home? _

What was he, a puppy?

I bit my lip.

Actually…guess he kinda was.

"You were talking to someone. I remember. I remember _everything _from that day." Derek crossed his arms. "And you said, _"This new Elesieus idea…"" _Derek thought for a moment before continuing.

"_It will never work."_" He finished.

Silence in the room.

All eyes turned to kit.

Kit, ever so slowly, opened his mouth. "I…I never thought…it…" Kit's eyes flashed from face to face in the room, searching for a sympathetic face. His sentence died out with his weak voice as his eyes reached mine.

I must've had the most menacing expression in the world at that moment, because when Kit turned to me, a look of pain quickly crossed his features, a twinkle of fear danced in his eyes and he looked down, at the floor.

He raised his hand and slowly rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze still at the floor.

"Go on." a hoarse whisper rasped somewhere behind me, behind all of us, and we turned quickly to find the source of the disturbing, almost _demonic _mumble. My gut twisted at the noise.

Adele sat on the floor, head bent as if in prayer. She slightly lifted her head, so her eyes were no visible, gleaming in the light.

The sight immediately brought on how serious this "Elesiues" situation must be.

She kept her chin down at an angle. "Tell them who she is. Tell them what's going on. They need to know." Adele almost demanded it from Kit, her voice still shaky, still raspy, but sure of the words she was speaking.

The eeriness of Adele and her current state sent my gaze away from her, back to Kit. Waiting, hoping maybe they'd finally just _spit it out. _But then again, they'd been rambling for quite a while now, and they seemed to enjoy this little game of _let's keep everybody in suspense by not mentioning any real names, except of course for Elesieus, which the definition of is also unknown by anyone other than us. _

Longest title for a game ever.

Kit slowly looked from Adele to Derek. Kit sighed, gazed Derek directly in the eye, and opened his mouth again.

This time, something useful came out of his mouth. His look didn't falter from Derek's determined one.

"Pheobe Elesieus was born on January fifteenth, in the year thirteen-forty." Kit started, his tone reminding me of my old history teacher, Mr. O' Neal's. A short, bald man with a hot temper and an even hotter face when something aggravated him.

_Keep focused, Einstein. This could be important. _

But from the look on Kit's face, it wasn't important. It was crucial.

He continued. "Her mother was a witch. Scarlett Jane Marie, from the line of Marie witches. Extremely famous in their time…well, famous in _their _world."

The feel of his voice became…_darker. _

"Her father was a Necromancer. Like Scarlett, he had strong, _strong _powers running in his blood, and a traceable line of ancestors with the same strong powers he possessed. Pheobe's fathers name was James. James Elesieus."

Kit's gaze finally snapped from Derek's trance-like one to Adele's foreboding stare. She knew where this was going. And from her expression, it seemed like the end of the world was in front of us.

Tori fidgeted from behind me, and I turned to look at her, to see her take on this confusing bit of craziness being thrown at us.

Sadness traced the edges of her lips, and brushed her cheekbones. But anxiety and curiosity took reign over her eyes, and they pierced into Kit's face like daggers. She was egger for the truth.

I looked away from her before she could notice I was staring.

Kit locked eyes back on Derek.

"There was a difference between Scarlett and James though. Scarlett came from a family of famous Witches and Wizards, but they were famous for being involved in particularly good incidents in history. On the other hand, the Elesieus'…well, they were known for embracing the darker side of power. They were known for using their powers to their own advantage. And believe it or not, there's a lot more you can do with raising the dead than you'd think."

Derek looked down. I couldn't tell what was going on, but he seemed to be thinking. The whole room grew still in anticipation of his next words.

Kit looked up, and started talking to us as a crowd instead of just speaking to individuals.

He cleared his throat.

"Nobody is exactly sure how Scarlett and James met, but-"

"Party." Adele interjected, rasp still present in her tone.

Kit's brows furrowed for a moment, then he shrugged slightly and continued.

"Okay, so they met at a party or whatever. But when they started seeing each other, it was the hugest scandal you could imagine. Darkest, most selfish Necromancer courting a famous, goody-two-shoes, always has a smile Marie Witch? It was unheard of. People tried everything to pull them apart - mostly for Scarlett's sake, to save her from the _evils _the Elesieus boy might expose her too.

But Scarlett and James' powers were stronger than anyone else's, and they knew that. They worked it to their advantage. Nobody could tear them apart, and by nobody," his voice dropped an octave, "I mean _nobody. _So when they got married, their was no objection from anyone. Everyone knew their power, and feared it. Especially James'. After the Marie family gave up on reviving their sweet, innocent darling Scarlett, they simply disowned her, not wanting her embarrassing little scandal to ruin their reputation.

James' family, however, was thrilled to have brought such a highly acclaimed girl over into their family. They welcomed Scarlett with open arms, and tons to teach and show her.

Like I said, Pheobe was born on January fifteenth, thirteen-forty. A full moon lit the sky that night, which is where she got her name from. It is also no coincidence that the day Pheobe was born, the very first case of Black Death began to spread in her very own town."

For some reason, Kit's look caught on me.

"With the parentage of a powerful Witch _and _a dark, powerful Necromancer, even as a child Pheobe couldn't control her powers. And they were so powerful that without even trying to, they lashed out to others. And they spread, and spread, and spread. And by the time Pheobe was ten, her little accident at birth had already reduced the world's population dramatically.

The Marie family was absolutely terrified. They denied having any part of the child, or of Scarlett. But on the other hand, the Elesieus family was _proud. _Proud that a child from their line had that much dark power in her blood to kill millions without even trying."

Kits face scrunched in disgust. My stomach churned and did some kind of strange flip at the disturbing thought of someone being _proud _of a killer.

A thought still flickered in my brain, even more unreasonable now then before…_What is project Elesieus? Why would they name a project after someone who killed so many?_

Kit turned back to Derek, though his head was still bent.

"Scarlett turned darker and darker day by day, forgetting the morals she had learned as a Marie child. As Scarlett grew darker, so did Pheobe. Darker and darker…Pheobe could raise the dead _and _practice witchcraft. Her powers were so strong, so powerful that she needed no lessons or practice. She simply got what she wanted by imagining herself achieving it, or doing it. And by the age of seventeen, she made a deal with a demon. A fire demon. Pheobe Elsieus made a deal for eternal, physical life. For a never changing body, an everlasting young state.

As she grew older and older, she entertained herself with placing curses on families, countries, on the human race. But she grew smarter than that, and she soon realized she was more powerful than _anyone _of _any race. _She knew she could, single handedly, take reign over the world. She could control everyone and everything she wanted, and simply kill anyone in her way.

The world was hers."

Kit paused, his eyes far away now.

He hesitated before going on.

"…so…that's what she started to do. The rest of the Elesieus family helped her, and together they started taking control of towns. Cities. States. Even a few countries.

But her deal with the demon caught up with her. She had promised the demon a human body for every single last demon stuck in the middle world between the next life and ours in exchange for an everlasting life on earth. Pheobe intended to fulfill her promise to the demon in the start, but after she grew more and more powerful, she didn't see why she had to answer to a lowly _demon, _or grant him anything."

Kit's eyes returned to the present. His gaze passed between all of us, slowly now, giving each of us a minute long meaningful look.

Derek's head rose, his brows still furrowed.

Adele, slowly, like an old woman unsure of her balance rose from her seat on the ground. Then, even more slowly (if that's possible) she turned her head up to face all of us. Her eyes were different.

Old. Withered with time and knowledge. Scared and scarred from the past.

Her lips parted, and everyone's ears strained to her what she had to say.

Tori softly gasped in a breath of air nervously, then reached down and found my hand.

She grasped it tightly against hers.

I fought heat from rising up in my cheeks and bubbly joy from bursting out, instead deciding to let it simmer in the pit of my stomach.

Adele's eyes caught the movement as the words pushed out over her lips,

"So the demon took her soul."


	13. 11 History part 2 of 3

**Disclaimer: I own Bryce, Avril, Emmeline, Tristan, Adele, Nick, Daniel, Jamie, Chase, some of the pack, and plot. **

**Chloe's P.O.V. **

I should have slammed the door right in his face. I should have punched him, or screamed Derek's name at the top of my lungs.

But I didn't.

Don't ask me why I didn't; I wasn't in my right mind. In fact, I don't know where the hell my mind set was exactly.

All I knew was something made me want to let this man in, let him know everything, let him dip into my desires and dreams, and let him comfort me in my worst sorrows.

And something he had said caught my attention.

"How are you here in _my _best interest?" I questioned bravely. The old, pre-Lyle House Chloe would never do such a thing.

No, pre-Lyle House Chloe would be shaking, hiding under the bed right now.

But this Chloe stood in the door frame, her face a mask of blankness, conveying no feelings whatsoever to him. Not asking for answers, but _demanding _them. Our eyes danced together, a dangerous card game of pride - and neither of us would be the first to back down, to reveal a weakness.

The man smiled in delight at my playing-along to his little game.

"How am I in your best interest, Chloe?" His eyes sparkled, dazing me into a state of almost content. He gracefully walked into the room, and I backed away in response, wanting to keep the same amount of distance between us at all times.

I struggled to pull my gaze away from his, to break the strange charming trance he was trying to put over me; intentional, or not.

He waved his hand and the door slammed shut. Then he flicked a finger, and a series of clicks informed me that the door was also now _locked_.

I kept my focus on his hands. That seemed like a safe spot.

"Why do you have to lock the door, if your in my best interest?" I countered back, crossing my arms now, a defense mechanism. I tried hard not to let fear overcome my facial expression.

The man sauntered over to my bed, and elegantly sat. His eyes glanced down to his lap, and his long, pale fingers brushed bits of dust off his pants. He then looked up to me.

I looked right over his head, focusing on the wall, avoiding his stare at all costs. But then I realized he wasn't looking at _me. _

He was looking at my stomach.

Instinctively, my hands flew to my belly. Did he know I was pregnant?

How could he know when only Derek and I knew?

Who _was _he, anyway?

I furrowed my brows, and the man raised his eyes to meet mine. That intoxicating perfect aura froze me to where I was standing. Froze my eyes from leaving his.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I've yet to introduce myself." His voice still dripped with smoothness, but this time it sounded like there was at least a _tiny _amount of sincerity hidden in there somewhere.

The corner of his almost womanly lips curled slowly up into another smile. The way this guy could never stop smiling, no matter what he said, made me flash back to childhood memories of Jim Carey's portrayal of "the Grinch", and Batman's most disturbing, eeriest foe; the Joker.

"My name is Maxwell. I won't lie to you, Chloe; Why would I? I'm not here to harm you, to deceive you. I knew about your Aunt's death - bless her soul -" he raised his eyes up toward the sky, still smiling.

Somehow, his little _prayer _for my Aunt seemed sickly twisted.

"I know about your friends, how you've all been on the run for quite some time, I know you happen to be carrying Derek Souza's _pup-_er-_children_," his nose scrunched up a tad, but he tried to cover it by widening his smile even further. I didn't understand how that was physically possible.

"And I have come from the Edison Group. But before you freak out running, screaming in terror, let me tell you this, Chloe: _We are not here to harm you at all. _You may think this is a lie, but it is completely and totally true. I've come here today because I want to make your life easier, Chloe." He cocked his head at me, and his smile suddenly folded into pursed lips.

"I've come to make your life easier, _and _to let you know who you _really _are. What you _truly _possess."

I furrowed my brows, and backed farther away from him.

He was lying. He had to be. The Edison Group wanted more than _anything _to harm me. They wanted me dead and gone.

But…how did this guy know about the babies? About Aunt Lauren's death?

The Edison Group must've killed her. That's the only reasonable explanations.

But then…how did Maxwell know about my pregnancy?

"What do you want from me?" I barked at him. I didn't make an attempt to hide my fear anymore. I was scared. And mad. And defensive. And on some crazy hormone rage.

Maxwell folded his hands, studying me. "Chloe, you're gifted. We've always known that, and you've always known that. You're a very, _very _powerful, gifted Necromancer. Which, is why it's been so hard to capture you and yours friends."

Scalding fear fired through my skin. It must've showed on my face, because Maxwell shot up from the bed and drew near to me in smooth strides.

"No, no, no, no, no, Chloe. We're not here to capture you, or your friends." He didn't smile when he said it. He wanted me to know he was serious.

My chest heaved with heavy breaths.

"Chloe, we made a huge mistake in trying to capture you. We've been searching - honestly, to destroy you and your friends - for quite awhile now, when, in reality, you're the one we've been waiting for, the one we've needed all these centuries."

_What? _

"What?" I voiced my thought out loud. None of this made any sense at all. What was going on? What did they want from me? What did they need me to do? Why had they been _waiting _for me?

"See, Chloe, we've been attempting to use drugs and treatments to maintain order of the supernatural world. To help control powers, to help put supernatural creatures in their place in the supernatural chain of beings. And we've been doing this because we couldn't find the promised one, the one to resolve this naturally, with her power and superiority."

His eyes gleamed into mine, and he drew closer and closer…

His icy fingers softly grazed my cheek. I shivered, though my eyes stayed glued to his.

Was this true? Could this be true?

How could I believe him? I didn't believe him. Couldn't believe him. I wouldn't.

But I couldn't deny; there was some missing piece in me that seemed to be filled by what he was saying. And his eyes, his tone…

He was telling the truth…wasn't he.

Was he?

"There was once a girl, a _woman, _a supernatural with great natural power. She was to restore balance to the supernatural world, giving people and supernatruals in the world their rightful place, their rightful number in the order of things. This woman was a powerful Witch _and _Necromancer." Maxwell's eyes dived deeper into mine. "This woman's name was Pheobe Elesieus." He said the name with great importance, great pride.

I had never heard the name before, and I had no clue what this little history lesson had to do with me, but I could tell from his demeanor she was well known in the supernatural world. A world I hadn't really been that well exposed to.

"This woman, Chloe, is your _ancestor._" Maxwell whispered in awe, and he looked at me like…like I was some sort of…saint or something.

It sent a strong surge through my blood, this power he bestowed on me with that _one look. _

A silence passed between us. A silence he used to stare at me, and a silence I used to take it all in.

This…Pheobe. Pheobe…._Elesieus? _Is that what her name was? She was my _ancestor? _

A Necromancer…and a Witch?

I thought about the possibility.

My…powers _had _always been unusually strong. Many people had told me so. And their had been several incidents…

Well…more than several…

He was from the Edison Group. My automatic thought was, _he's lying. _I shouldn't believe him. After all that's happened, after killing Liz, drugging me, chasing us down, possessing Rae, sending kidnapping Chase, drugging me _again, _kidnapping Nate and who knows who else, blocking my ability to see ghosts…

Yeah, why in the _hell _should I trust him? Everything pointed in the complete opposite direction - _it's a trap. A lie to convince you to go with him or whatever. A lie constructed to gain your trust. _

Not working.

It had to be a lie. Elesieus? What was that crap about? I'd never heard that name before, and it sounded like some Dr. Seuss character. If this Pheobe chick were really important, were really _real, _wouldn't I have heard of her by now?

"_No." _I said strongly, surely. It was a nice little fable Maxwell had told me, an interesting, grand fairytale. But I wasn't being fooled again. I was _not _the foolish girl I used to be. I wasn't, and I would never be again.

Maxwell sighed, yet maintained a calm, patient expression. He glanced down at the floor for a moment, then looked up to me, his eyes sparkling and dancing in that intoxicating, alluring way of his.

I quickly turned my face away from him, toward the door. I didn't want anything to do with those eyes, incase he had some freaky mind-control power I wasn't aware of.

"Chloe, you don't have to believe me. You don't. It's perfectly fine if you don't. But…" he took several steps toward the door, into my sight. I slowly looked toward his face, being sure not to look directly into his eyes just to be safe.

His mouth pulled into a half small, and his pale hand extending and grasping the door handle. "But I'm telling you the truth. If you choose to take your natural role in our world, we would dispose of all our current tactics to order the supernatural world. Because you can do that, Chloe." He let go of the handle, and sauntered toward me again.

Despite my fear of mind control, I slowly looked up right into his eyes, now inches from mine. My body froze, and my eyes remained locked to his…his intoxicating…enticing…attractive…_alluring _eyes. My mask of indifference melted away with every second those glimmering eyes gazed into mine. I never wanted to pull away.

He reached out his hand to me, and slowly brought his long, white fingers to my face. A part deep inside of me, locked away by his gaze, screamed _back the hell away from him!_ But I couldn't do that right now…actually…I didn't _want_ to now.

His skin, despite looking white as snow, was warm and soft, smooth as he traced it down the side of my cheek, ever so delicately. He pulled his hand away from my face, but didn't dare to move his eyes from mine.

"You can bring the world back to what it should be. Chloe, _you_ can be the difference between life and death for all supernatural kind…" A small smile played on his lips now. "Including your friends." He whispered.

Despite the frozen state, a flame shot up within me and began to burn deep within my gut. I…_I _could do that? Could save them? Tori…Simon…_Derek…I could save them. _

His hand reached out to me once again, his eyes still focused intensely on mine. But this time instead of delicately touching my face, he softly grabbed my hand, and raised it to his full lips.

"Vale, Maximo Principem." He whispered, his eyes dancing even more than before. Then he kissed my hand softly, closing his eyes.

He turned his back, opened the door and walked out, leaving the door to close quietly behind him. And leaving me to wonder over what exactly was the right thing to do.

**Comments? Predictions? Suggestions? Anything at all? R&R!**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this!**


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